


all was golden in the sky

by marc0bot



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Anxiety, Developing Relationship, First Kiss, Going Out With a Big Bang 2020, Happy Ending, Light Angst, M/M, Magic AU, Magical Realism, Royalty AU, Slow Build, Songfic, Strangers to Lovers, can this be considered a songfic???, sun/moon au, this is 69 pages in google docs so this fic is blessed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-10
Updated: 2020-05-16
Packaged: 2021-02-26 17:25:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 26,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23573998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marc0bot/pseuds/marc0bot
Summary: Jack has been destined to inherit the throne of Soleil from his father since the day he was born, but with the Summer Solstice approaching and with it, his coronation, Jack makes a rash decision to run away from his kingdom in search of something that will help him decide what’s best for him and his people.Enter Bitty, a quiet stranger who pulls Jack in like the tide. Can Bitty help Jack accept his duty as king, or will their bond prove to make things even more complicated? And is there more to Bitty than meets the eye?
Relationships: Eric "Bitty" Bittle/Jack Zimmermann, Shitty Knight & Jack Zimmermann
Comments: 52
Kudos: 94
Collections: Going Out With A Big Bang 2020





	1. 20 Days Before the Summer Solstice

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was written in about a month and a half for the Going Out With a Big Bang event! With gorgeous art by [missweber](https://missweber.tumblr.com/post/615029511035224064/art-for-all-was-golden-in-the-sky-zimbits-rated) on Tumblr!
> 
> I'll miss this comic with all my heart, but I hope this fic and all others in this event can help fill the void of no more updates :)

_ you taste like sunshine _

_ just like you’ve been kissed _

_ by the morning light  _

_ and I was the darkness _

_ dancing with the stars _

_ carelessly, breathlessly _

_ and our lips meet softly, _

_ color erupting in the atmosphere _

_ the absolute lightest darkness _

_ dawn is breaking:  _

_ a fleeting moment when _

_ the sun can kiss the moon  _

_ -AKR _

**_OPPOSITION_ **

_ “the term used to describe two celestial bodies as being opposite each other in the sky, relative to the observer.” _

Jack wakes up to a darkened bedroom, a slowly forming headache, and many violently enthusiastic knocks on his door.

“Come in,” he answers, voice deep and groggy as if he had gotten no sleep at all. Unless a few restless hours count, it’s not far from the truth; A good night’s rest has been few and far between these last few weeks.

The door is swung open with an unnecessary amount of urgency that can only be accompanied by Shitty, his trusted Royal Advisor and best friend, who barges in and snatches the covers from Jack’s king-sized cocoon. “Time to seize the day, Your Highness!” 

Jack groans, “I told you not to call me that.” 

He goes to move the covers back and burrow in further, but Shitty slaps his ankle, “Ah!” He tosses the blankets as far across the room as he can. “I’m not having you be late_ again _this morning. Your pops ripped me a new one the last time I let you sleep in.” 

“That’s the king you’re talking about, you know that?” 

He moves to the window adjacent to Jack’s bedside, “Yeah, and he’s a gorgeous specimen who could kill me with his pinky finger at any moment which is, in all honesty, kind of hot.” 

“Gross,” Jack says, turning to lay on his side, away from Shitty’s insistent gaze. “Besides, it’s still dark out. He probably doesn’t need me for another hour.”  
  


“Think again, Jackie-poo,” Shitty replies, gesturing to the kingdom outside his now uncovered window. The sky, once only filled with a light smattering of stars, begins to fill with a warm light as the sun peeks out from the horizon and makes its trek through the sky before stopping right above the castle walls. 

Day has officially begun for the kingdom of Soleil, and Jack’s father is done with his morning work. 

“See?” Shitty says, and starts pushing Jack out of his bed and up onto his feet. “He’ll be there any minute now, and you’re still naked. Can’t go preparing for your coronation with your dick out, only I could get away with that.”

Jack is, in fact, _ not _naked, but his father would kill him if he showed up to his daily training in his sleepwear, so he complies and begins changing into his royal attire, being hastened by Shitty’s assistance. 

Once he’s fully dressed, Shitty dusts off his shoulders and pins the brooch depicting Soleil’s royal crest to his lapel; a solid gold depiction of the sun, rays flowing outwards and giving off an almost unnoticeable glow. Jack’s shoulders tense up just a little more than they already were. 

He gives Jack’s face a comforting pat and asks, “You good?”

“I’m good.” It’s not a lie, but it’s most definitely not the truth either.

Shitty nods before pushing Jack lightly out the door, “Go get ‘em.”

Jack smiles, takes a shaky breath, and makes his way down the winding halls of his home to where his father is sure to be waiting.

Sure enough, when Jack rounds the corner, his dad is waiting outside their designated training room in the west wing of the castle, leaning against unnecessarily lavish double doors and tapping his foot with impatience. 

You would think that the man responsible for moving a giant ball of fire through the sky every single day wouldn’t mind waiting, but Bob Zimmermann is no ordinary man. And he_ definitely _isn’t like most dads. Jack isn’t just his son, he is his heir, and that means that Bob is king first, teacher second, father last. 

He isn’t alone this time though. His mother, Alicia, is leaning in close, a worried expression on her face as they talk in hushed voices. His father looks frustrated, though that isn’t very unusual for him as of late, with Jack’s training becoming even more important as the day of his coronation looms. 

Once Alicia finally notices Jack approaching, she takes a step back, arms wrapped around her middle and smile calming Jack’s nerves just slightly. “Morning, sweetheart. Sleep well?”

He shrugs. “As well as I can, I suppose.”

Her smile falters for a split second, and Bob pushes himself from the doors and meets him halfway. “Looks like Sir Knight was finally able to get you out of bed on time this morning!”

Jack gives a halfhearted laugh, “He can be very efficient when he needs to be, and he didn’t want to upset you.”

“I’ve known that boy since he was a newborn, he couldn’t upset me if he tried,” his father laughs, much brighter than Jack’s and completely genuine. His mother laughs along, though Jack can tell it’s a little strained.

“Sure,” Jack answers sarcastically, though he’s mostly wishing he were Shitty right now; upsetting the king seems to be the only thing he_ can _do right. 

“Anyway, no more stalling. Let’s get to business, shall we?” 

“Let’s,” Jack replies, and Alicia kisses him on the cheek as Bob ushers him through the now opened doors to the training facility.

“Don’t be too hard on him, dear,” Jack can hear his mother say as Bob gives her a kiss. 

He says something in return, but Jack can’t make out the words as two guards appear to close the doors behind them and the sound echoes through the empty room, completely empty besides one large glowing orb in the center, drowning the room in a warm golden light. 

This is the sun, or more accurately, _ Jack’s _sun; his father teaches him everything he knows with it. Every future prince of Soleil tests their powers, their_ worth_, on this unexplainable ball of pure magical essence made to mimic the weight and power of the real thing. 

Raising and lowering, raising and lowering, on and on and on until you are as strong as any king should be, until you can bear the weight of such an important task. 

Jack hates his sun. 

“Ok, let’s start with a warmup,” Bob says, and extends his hands between them. Splashes of yellow and gold begin to form under the skin of his palms, the veins in his hands igniting in the same fashion. “Build up your power, let it take shape.”

Taking a deep breath, Jack closes his eyes and focuses all of his energy into his outstretched hands, skin tingling with warmth beneath the surface. Opening his eyes, Jack looks down to see the same shimmer begin at the tips of his fingers and flow downwards until both of his hands are bursting with sparks of gold and his palms are beginning to sweat from the heat of it.

He finally exhales to the sound of his father’s praise. “Good! Hold that energy, don’t let it escape you. Now, let me see you raise it like we did last time. Remember, use your whole body. Feel the magic flow from your core to your fingertips and let it do the work for you.”

Clenching his jaw and reaching a hand out towards the orb, Jack does just that. 

“Yes! You got it! Don’t lose that hold, keep it steady...perfect!” 

With his sun right above their heads, Jack tenses every muscle to keep it suspended. 

Standing off to his left, his father puts a gentle hand on his shoulder and says, “Now, show me what’s next.” 

Jack raises his other arm upwards before clapping his hands together, a few shocks of light vaulting from his palms. With that, he finally lowers his pulsing hands, letting them hang heavy at his sides.

He successfully set the sun in its place, and Bob slaps his back with overexcited force. 

“Perfect! Now let’s try lowering it, eh?”

Nodding, Jack bites the inside of his cheek and once again raises shaky arms toward the ceiling. In all the years they’ve been training, he’s never struggled to raise his sun and lowering it was even easier, but in the last few weeks, Jack has felt...powerless. It’s difficult now, more than it’s ever been, to complete what he was born to do. The closer they get to the moment this all becomes his cross to bear, the more it feels like the sun is looming over him just like it is now, and it’s all going to come crashing down.

Jack tastes metal on his tongue, and suddenly the warmth in his veins dissipates.

“Jack!” Bob yells before instinctively preventing the orb from crushing them. “What the hell do you think you’re doing!?” 

Breathing short and shallow, Jack replies, “I don’t...sorry I...I just-” 

Bob brings the ball of matter back to its original position on the pedestal before turning to Jack, hands coming to rest heavily on both of his shoulders, “Look, I know this is a lot, trust me. I had the same problem before _ I _was crowned.” 

His eyes look directly into Jack’s with the sort of hardened expression that Jack has been subjected to since he could walk; disappointment? Concern? Anger? Either way, Jack can’t stand it. 

“It’s a huge responsibility and I know it can sometimes feel like too much, like you can’t possibly hold this power.”

Jack also can’t stand the fact that he’s_ right_. He_ can’t _hold this power. He tries, tries until he leaves scars all over his palms and the muscles in his arms feel like they’re on fire, but it’s not enough. Jack’s afraid it never will be. 

Bob tightens his grip on Jack’s shoulders and continues, “But you_ can _do it, Jack. You’re going to be an amazing king, you just have to_ be better_. The kingdom is counting on you, and they won’t believe in you if you don’t even believe in yourself.” He lets out a sigh and pats Jack’s cheek. “ _ I _believe in you, son. I know you’ll do Soleil proud. Do you understand?” 

Jack nods, but doesn’t respond beyond that. He knows his dad is right, that his people are counting on him to succeed, to _ be better_. In less than a month, he’ll be responsible for their safety, their livelihood. The responsibilities he will have, to begin and end each day, have so much more at stake than they seem to. It’s all measured, meticulous; you don’t have all the time in the world to get your act together. You have to be ready, to be strong enough to raise or lower it in time before it could throw everything, Soleil’s entire system, off. 

How is he going to be a good king if he can’t even accomplish his main duty of bringing down the sun at the end of the day?

“Good,” Bob says, removing his hands from Jack’s shoulders before gesturing back to the ball of magical essence balancing itself haphazardly on its stand. “Now let’s try that again, shall we?”

So they begin the process once again, and when Jack begins to focus intently on the orb, he lets those two words become a mantra in his head:

_ Be better. Be better. Be better. _

“So what if you had a little mishap? One mistake isn’t the end of the world,” Shitty says, walking backwards in front of Jack as they stroll through the courtyard.

“It’s not just a one-time thing though, it’s happened five times already in the last month. I haven’t failed that much since I was ten,” Jack responds, keeping a smile plastered to his face as they pass a few gardeners tending to the flowers that grow in such abundance throughout the kingdom they need constant upkeep. He waves to a man watering a new patch of yellow carnations as they walk by. “What if it’s permanent? I can’t make a mistake like that during the Solstice; no one will ever trust me again.”

Shitty gives Jack a look before moving to walk beside him once again, “You know that’s never gonna happen right?” When Jack doesn’t respond, Shitty slaps his back with a little too much force. “Bro! You’re _ Prince Jack_, everyone loves you here...including me, by the way.”

Jack smiles. Of course, he knows Shitty loves him, they’ve been practically inseparable since they were born. The rest of the kingdom, he’s not so sure about.

Apparently, Shitty can tell by Jack’s face that he doesn’t believe him. “Come on, dude! You’re the nicest guy in the entire kingdom! You know practically everyone by name and your looks could blind a man. No one hates you, and they’re not gonna start any time soon.”

“I know, it’s just-” stopping in his tracks, Jack shakes his head. “They might like me now, but if I can’t do it...what if I fuck up so bad and put everyone in danger? What then?”

Shitty sighs, facing Jack and poking him square in the chest. “That’s _ not _gonna happen, brah, and if you keep thinking about the ‘what ifs’, it’s just gonna make you miserable.” He puts his hands on his hips and gives Jack a pointed look, “Now, what’s your name?”

“Jack.”

“Wrong! _ What’s your name? _”

Huffing, Jack repeats, “Jack Zimmermann, prince of the kingdom of Soleil…”

“_And_?” Shitty leans forward.

“....And the most beautiful motherfucker on this planet,” Jack smiles, shaking his head at Shitty’s antics.

Laughing, Shitty ruffles Jack’s hair. “You got that right! A beautiful motherfucker who needs to stop being so goddamn hard on himself all the time!” 

Shitty’s gaze drifts behind Jack’s shoulder, and he frowns before moving to crouch by the grass. He pops back up and places a single daffodil behind Jack’s ear. “Here, that’ll give you some sunny disposition!”

“Thanks, Shitty,” Jack says, adjusting his hair and securing the stem in place.

“Just doing my job, man. You make it easy, with that handsome face of yours.” He drapes his arm casually across Jack’s shoulders as they continue their walk through the gardens. “I swear, you need a serious break, my dude. How soon after being crowned is too soon for a vacation?”

Jack laughs, putting his arm around Shitty’s waist and matching his pace, “Trust me, I’ve thought about it.”

Another day is almost coming to a close, leaving Jack to his own devices as he says good night to Shitty and makes his way to his sleeping quarters for the evening. The sun is still high in the atmosphere, but his father is sure to be lowering it in a few hours, and Jack is exhausted enough to turn in early. 

Changing out of his royal garments, Jack removes the royal crest from his lapel. Frowning, he encases it in his palm, closes his eyes, and lets out a deep breath. Opening his hand reveals a glimmer of yellow and gold, his palm igniting to meet the rays flowing from the brooch. 

It’s warm, maybe too warm. It almost burns.

Dropping it on his bedside table, he flops sideways on his mattress, looking up at his hand. It stings, and the shape of the sun is now sitting branded on his palm like a warning, bright and heavy. He sighs and lets his hand fall to his side. 

Sitting up, Jack faces his bedroom window, the curtains still secured neatly to the side from that morning. He goes to close them for the day but finds himself pausing to look out over the palace walls. Jack can just faintly make out an expanse of trees in the distance, the sky stretching behind it somehow even darker than Soleil’s moonless nights. He wonders, suddenly, what that darkness entails. 

Soleil is all he’s ever known. Shitty, his parents, the_ crown_. He knows vaguely what lies beyond the wood, knows that another kingdom resides there, holding the moon in its hands; Lunaris, the opposite of everything Soleil has built itself to be. 

What is it like, outside his home? How does it feel to have a sunless sky? Weightless, Jack decides; no sun, no crown, no pressure….no disappointed fathers and subjects who’ll look at him and know he’s not good enough. 

Looking back at the family crest still radiating light from his nightstand, Jack breathes, grabs a quill and paper from his desk, and sets his eyes on the horizon.

_ Dear Shitty, _

_ Don’t freak out. I know it’s stupid, but I cannot continue my training when I’m not even certain I can handle the pressure. It’s suffocating, all of it. The lessons, the magic, the faces of all those people who are counting on me to protect them. I’m not strong, Shitty, I’m pathetic. I can’t even do the one thing I’m expected to do with perfection, the one thing I was taught to do since before I could truly understand what it all meant. If I am to be king, I need to be better than this. _

_ So I’m leaving. Not forever, I promise, just long enough for me to get my head straight and figure out just what I need to be to become worthy of that crown. Please, don’t come looking for me. I need to do this on my own. Give my father this note if you have to; anything to make him leave me be for just a week at most, I swear. If my mother is worried, please tell her I’ll come home soon and she can scold me all she wants for scaring her. I have to know that there’s more than this, than my father or me or even the sun itself. _

_ I’m sorry, _

_ Jack _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I do the cliche thing and start this fic off with a poem??? maybe so 
> 
> Yes there is some flower symbolism in this fic,,,it's not super important though, mostly just for something extra-
> 
> Comments and kudos are appreciated as always! aka I'll love you for it <3


	2. 19 Days Before the Summer Solstice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack is definitely not in Soleil anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Art featured in this chapter is by [missweber](https://missweber.tumblr.com/post/615029511035224064/art-for-all-was-golden-in-the-sky-zimbits-rated) on Tumblr!

** _EARTHSHINE _ **

_ “The light of the sun that is reflected back into space by the Earth, which can illuminate other objects such as the Moon.” _

Jack runs. He runs until he can’t breathe any longer, until the sun begins to set and he struggles to see what is right in front of him. He reaches the forest he saw outside his bedroom window just in time for all the light to completely disappear from the sky and have the stars take its place. 

But the trees. He can see the trees. He feels sweat begin to dry on his forehead as he steps into the wood. 

Jack can’t possibly be in Soleil anymore, but it doesn’t feel like he expected Lunaris to feel either. It’s cold, but the leaves have a soft light peeking through them. He looks up to find the moon, within his view for the first time as it ascends high above the trees.

It’s new and calming, like he’s never felt before. Still, he sets a fast pace as he ventures further, needing to find a place to hide from any palace guards that his father is bound to send after him. 

Just when he thinks he might be lost — though he has no destination in mind to begin with — Jack’s eyes are drawn to a giant bush nestled against a wall of rock. At first he thinks it’s a dead-end, but then he notices a soft light peeking through the greenery and decides to take a closer look.

Pushing the leaves aside with both hands, Jack steps into the shrubbery and instead of hitting solid stone, comes out the other side. Opening his eyes, Jack finds himself somewhere he’d never expect to find: a garden. 

A garden filled to the brim with flowers of all kinds, just as colorful — if not more — than those you’d find growing everywhere in Soleil. He notices the native flowers of his region; sunflowers, marigolds, snapdragons. But Jack also notices some flora he has never seen before. All shades of blue and white, some petals almost black in their intensity. Though there is no sun outside of his kingdom, there is no darkness here. It’s bright, but not as strong and warm as he’s used to. His vision became softer and more cool-toned the further he found himself within the trees, but here, in this little hideaway, everything seems to be glowing with a bluish light. 

Jack realizes just how dumb he was for not changing out of his sleepwear before running away. He shivers.

Walking deeper into the garden, Jack takes in his surroundings. The floral scent is strong, yet not overbearing. A calmness seems to envelop him, the atmosphere wrapping him in a comfortable embrace. Jack lets out a breath he feels like he’s been holding since he leapt from his bedroom window; a deep, audible sigh. 

“....and what brings _ you _ here?”

Jack startles, spinning around and coming face to face with a stranger, a man with blond hair and simple attire sitting on what appears to be a tree stump with a cup of tea in hand. 

“Sorry, I...had no idea anyone else was in here.”

“Neither did I,” the man gives a small laugh before gesturing to the other stump adjacent to his across a small table. “Though I’m not opposed to the company.”

Jack takes a seat on the slightly damp stump. The man reaches over the table to hand Jack his own cup; the tea is warm, but the stranger’s hands are cold where their fingers brush at the handoff, and his skin seems to have the same slightly bluish glow to it that the flowers possess.

Meeting the man’s eyes, Jack notices that this blue hue seems to...surround him somehow. Even his golden hair has a tint to it. His eyes though, are big and warm and brown, and Jack feels them pulling him in.

The man takes a sip of tea and asks, “Why the fancy getup? Got a party to attend?”

Jack looks down at himself. Though his sleepwear is much more simple than what he wears on the job, it is still much more elaborate than what his new acquaintance has on. His white blouse is soft and light, and the gold accents on the sleeves and neckline make it look as expensive as it definitely is, and though his gold silk pajama pants are now torn and stained in some places from running through the woods, they’re still making him look a bit more like royalty than he would prefer. 

Jack gives a nervous laugh. “More like run away from.” 

“Oh?” 

“My...job, it’s-” Jack pauses, not sure if he wants this man to know he’s royalty. What if he contacts them somehow? Helps them find him and bring him back? Jack doesn’t want to go back, at least not yet.

“My job is stressful, and I’m due for...a big promotion soon that I’m not sure I’m worthy of.”

“So instead of facing it, you ran from it?” The man asks.

“Yes. I’m not proud of it, but it’s for the good of the...business. They can’t trust me to lead them when I don’t even trust myself,” Jack admits. 

The stranger nods before seeming to remember something. “Oh! I completely forgot to ask you your name. How rude of me!” 

Jack laughs, wondering if he should give his real name or play it safe. Looking at the man, he doesn’t seem like a threat. 

“My name is Jack.”

The man smiles and reaches out a hand for Jack to shake. “Nice to meet you, Jack. I’m Bitty.” He retracts his hand and takes another sip of tea, “It seems like we may have a lot in common.”

A few hours later, after Jack has sat in general silence as he surveyed the surrounding flora and the mysterious and quiet man before him, this stranger, Bitty (that can’t possibly be his real name, right?) leads him out of the secret hideaway and deeper into the woods. 

“I might as well be your guide if you’re planning on staying a while. Moon _ knows _ you have no clue where you’re heading,” Bitty explains as he kicks a fallen branch out of their path. “I’ll even let you stay at my place as long as you need.”

Jack sticks close behind Bitty, careful not to trip on any rocks as they maneuver through the moonlit darkness. “That’s very kind of you.”

“It’s nothing, trust me.”

Nodding, Jack looks up at the sky. It seems as though the night is coming to an end, the moon beginning to make its descent above them.

“Wow! Time sure has flown by, hasn’t it? Well, we better make it back soon then,” Bitty says as he, too, moves his gaze upwards. 

Expecting their sight to diminish even more, Jack is surprised when his eyes are hit with a soft, warm light. “I thought you didn’t get any sun in this place.”

“Oh, we don’t,” Bitty answers, continuing forward. “This forest is very special. When I ra- when I moved here, I was just as intrigued to find sunlight, or at least that’s what I think it is. My guess is that since these trees border the two kingdoms, some of the day seems to bleed into them. It’s beautiful, really.”

Finally able to see in front of them, Jack sets a pace beside Bitty. “Is it always like this, during the day?”

“Not in the rest of the kingdom, no. Lunaris tends to be...pretty drab, to put it lightly. That’s why I made a home here; the little bit of warmth this close to the border is so comforting. It’s like the sun is always beginning to rise whenever the moon isn’t out to play.” 

Stopping abruptly in his tracks, Bitty points ahead of them. “Finally! Home sweet home.”

Looking in the direction Bitty points in, Jack sees a clearing. The trees begin to make way into what looks like sand, and there seems to be a small cabin resting on it a small distance away. “What is that?”

Bitty turns his head to face Jack, giving him a confused look. “What? You’ve never seen a beach before?”

“No, actually.”

Bitty pauses. “Oh. Well, there’s a first time for everything, isn’t there? Come on!” 

They reach the cabin, sitting on the beach with its darkened wood and uneven framing. It looks as though it was this close to collapsing not long ago, but someone — Bitty he guesses — tried to restore its integrity and make it somewhat livable. 

“It isn’t much, but it’s home,” Bitty admits as he carefully opens the front door and steps inside. Jack follows. 

The interior of the home is not what Jack expects to find. It’s...cozy and, despite its size, filled to the brim with so much personality, _ Bitty’s _ personality; one he doesn’t know much of yet but finds himself hoping to know more, for however long he ends up staying. 

“You must be hungry,” Bitty says, making his way to the small kitchen nestled in the corner of the space. “I think I have some pie left over from last night, if that sounds good to you.”

“Pie?”

Glancing back in Jack’s direction, Bitty laughs. “Ah yes, my specialty! You’ll enjoy it, I’m sure. If not, I’ll have to kick you out.” 

Jack’s eyes widen, but Bitty continues. “I’m kidding, silly.”

“Haha, right,” Jack answers, eyes cast to the floor. 

“Take a seat!” He gestures to the two-person dining table separating the kitchen from the living room. “I’ll be just a minute. Hope you like blueberry!”

Sitting cautiously in one of the chairs, Jack finally takes a moment to breathe, only the faint sounds of the waves and Bitty fussing about in the kitchen filling his head. This whole ordeal has taken a turn he definitely wasn’t expecting. Finding this man living all alone and so far away from Lunaris’ capitol is strange, and Jack finds himself wondering what brought Bitty here. What is his story? Can he trust him? 

Did Jack make the right choice, running away? 

Before he can even begin to think of an answer, Bitty sits across from him at the table and sets a slice of warm blueberry pie in front of him. The filling oozes onto the plate and Jack’s stomach growls at the sweet smell of it. 

“Eat up!” Bitty sits back in his chair, eyes on Jack.

Picking up the fork, Jack stabs at the pie and takes a huge bite. It’s delicious; not too sweet, the filling coating his tongue and the crust almost melting in his mouth. It’s the best thing Jack has ever eaten, and it’s mystifying. 

Swallowing, Jack asks, “Aren’t you going to have any?”

Giving a small laugh, Bitty says, “I try not to eat right before bed.”

“But the sun just came up…”

“Oh honey,” he sighs. “You’re really not from around here, are you?”

“You can say that,” Jack shrugs and takes another mouthful.

“Well, in these parts, bedtime is for when the sun goes up and the moon comes down. I may get a glimpse of sunlight around here, but I guess I’m stuck in my old ways. I guess you could say us Lunarians are nocturnal.” 

Nodding, Jack goes for another bite only to find his plate empty. He frowns. 

“You really _ were _hungry!” Bitty laughs, getting up from his spot at the table and taking the dishes to the sink. “If you don’t mind, I think I should head to bed right about now; it’s been quite an eventful day.”

Jack shakes his head and says, “You got that right.”

“Are you tired? I have some blankets if you’d like to set yourself up on the couch.”

“That would be great, thank you.”

“It’s no problem, really,” Bitty answers as he opens a closet in the small hallway that presumably leads to his bedroom. He returns with a hoard of chunky knitted blankets, all woven with a rainbow of colors as though whoever made them used whatever threads they could get their hands on. “Make yourself at home. I’ll be right in this room down the hall if you need anything.”

“Thank you,” Jack says, taking the blankets from Bitty’s hands. 

Bitty nods, making his way down the compact hallway and to his bedroom door. Before going inside, he smiles and says, “Goodday, Jack. See you at moonrise.”

“Goodnight,” Jack responds out of reflex. He doesn’t have time to correct himself before Bitty closes his door, leaving Jack alone at the table with a pile of knitting in his hands. 

Moving to the couch, Jack slips off his shoes, lays down, and burrows himself under the thickest blanket from the pile. The windows are letting in the slightest bit of orange light. The small amount of sun in this new place calms him, makes him forget about everything for just a minute.

His father is probably reeling at this very moment, his mother worrying to death, Shitty frantically trying to make things right. He should feel bad, but he doesn’t, not when he feels so at peace in a strange man’s home, in a place his mind can’t even comprehend. There’s no sun here, no expectations weighing him down to control it with whatever divine power he was gifted when he was born. He’s just Jack here, no ‘prince’ proceeding his very existence. Just _ Jack _ and his thoughts and Bitty down the hall. 

He doesn’t sleep, can’t make himself do so when he’s so used to darkness when he rests. Instead, he stares out the window and daydreams until the warm light is replaced by a soft blue glow; the moon is rising, and Jack is definitely not in Soleil anymore. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: The scene where Jack meets Bitty is the first part I wrote! on the notes app of my phone at 1 am! fun times-
> 
> Comments and kudos are appreciated as always! <3


	3. 17 Days Before the Summer Solstice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> it’s interesting how easily Bitty understands without even knowing the whole truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Art featured in this chapter is by [missweber](https://missweber.tumblr.com/post/615029511035224064/art-for-all-was-golden-in-the-sky-zimbits-rated) on Tumblr!

** _DARK ADAPTION_ **

_ “The eyes’ transition to night vision, in order to see faint objects.” _

“Jack, are you up?”

Keeping his head resting on the couch, Jack moves his gaze toward Bitty, who’s made his way quietly out of his room and to the edge of the couch. He’s playing with the hem of a pair of ratty blue shorts that barely reach mid-thigh and leaning over the armrest to peak at Jack’s face. 

Jack groans.

Standing upright, Bitty looks over at the window before asking, “You didn’t sleep again, didn’t you?”  
  


Jack groans again, refusing to meet Bitty’s eyes and tugging the blanket tighter around his shoulders. 

Bitty laughs. “You’re going to have to get used to this if you’re planning on staying a while.”

Finally pulling the blanket away from his torso, Jack sits up slowly and answers, “You’re right. It’s just odd, is all.” He yawns. 

He hasn’t been able to sleep since the night before he left Soleil, which was almost four days ago. The night before had Jack sleeping through the moonlight while Bitty had let him be. While Bitty had slept, Jack was wide awake, and today is no different. 

“How do you sleep with light outside like that?”

“Well, I didn’t always live around here, with these odd circumstances. The rest of Lunaris is pitch black during the day! It’s a lot easier to fall asleep when your view is the same whether or not you shut your eyes,” Bitty responds as he folds up the blanket Jack dropped to the floor and places it on the back of the couch. He picks up the unused blankets Jack left on the side table and makes his way over to the hallway closet.

Jack runs a hand through his hair and rubs lightly at his eyes. “How did you find this place anyway?”

“Oh, you know,” Bitty says, his body obscured by the closet door. “Dumb luck, I suppose.” He closes the door with a swift _ click _and pads barefoot into the kitchen. “Enough about that, you must be starving! I bet a good meal will wake you up.”

Standing up from the couch and stretching his back, Jack follows Bitty sluggishly to the dining table. “Thank you.”  
  


“It’s no problem, really! I never say no to having another stomach to feed.” he opens up the weathered fridge that Jack is surprised even works. “And after we eat, you can even help me tend to the garden if you’d like.” 

Jack nods, yawns again, and rests his head on the table as Bitty ignites the stove. 

After their meal, Bitty leads him back through the woods and to the secluded garden Jack found himself in just two days before. Bitty had handed him a thin grey coat to put on over his dirtied sleepwear before they left, and he hugs it closer to his body now as they pass through the branches to the other side. 

Jack is met once again with an abundance of flowers, the scent overwhelming his senses as Bitty moves towards a patch of sunflowers and inspects their petals. 

“When I first found this place, all these flowers were close to dying. I thought, ‘they deserve better than this’, so I tried my hand at bringing them back to life.” He smiles at them fondly before turning his gaze back to Jack. “It’s difficult to keep them healthy though. Ones like these aren’t usually supposed to grow here; I’m a little out of my depth.”

“They seem to be doing just fine,” Jack says. 

“I don’t know. They just seem...dull, I guess.”

The flora native to Soleil that he can distinguish seem healthy, but Bitty’s right, they _ do _lack that slight glow that all nature under the sun tends to have. Bitty’s been doing great taking care of them though, Jack can tell. If not for his insistent care, they would never be able to survive in a place that gets so little sunlight. It’s impressive, really. 

But, maybe, Jack can help. 

“Well, we should get to work! I usually tend to Lunaris’ natives first, so if you’d like to help out with the rest of them, feel free! There’s a watering can next to the stump over there.” He gestures to the area Jack found him sitting at the night before. 

Nodding, Jack turns his back to Bitty and moves towards the sunflowers Bitty was just admiring. Checking to make sure Bitty is sufficiently busy, he reaches his hand out and lets the glow from his hands seep into the stems and upwards across every petal. He hisses quietly, the sting taking him by surprise. It’s been a long time since he’s used his powers for anything other than his daily training and his body isn’t used to it. 

It feels great though, somehow, like the slight burning he feels is worth it if it helps Bitty’s garden glow. 

He repeats it on as many patches of flowers as he can before Bitty finds his way back to him. 

“Well, I’m done over here! Do you need help or-” Bitty pauses, eyes wide as he stares at the now much more vibrant plants behind Jack’s back. “What- Jack, these are...they’re beautiful! How did you-” 

Jack keeps his hands clasped behind himself and squeezes his palms together, willing the last of his magical energy to dissipate. “I have some experience with...gardening?” He winces. 

Bitty doesn’t comment on his odd response, instead bypassing Jack and crouching low to admire the soft, warm glimmer Soleil’s native plants now suddenly possess. His face is filled with awe as he looks in Jack’s direction. “Where did you say you were from again?”

Jack tenses, wiping the sweat off his hands and onto the fabric of his thighs while avoiding Bitty’s gaze. “I...don’t know if I-”

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. I’m just curious.” 

“I’m-” Jack sighs. “Soleil. I’m from Soleil.”

However Jack expects Bitty to respond, it doesn’t include a smile and a bright laugh, and especially not a soft hand on his shoulder. 

“Well, that explains your messed up sleep schedule!” Bitty says, removing his hand and moving to inspect the flowers again before turning his head back to Jack. “Thank you for trusting me.”

“Of course,” Jack smiles, albeit a little nervously. He doesn’t _ think _ Bitty would do anything bad if he knew the whole truth, but he doesn’t want to take any chances, not when he’s only known him for two days and was asleep for practically all of one. He’s not sure he’ll _ ever _reveal everything; if he returns home and never sees Bitty again, does he even have to? 

Still, Jack feels...safe, telling Bitty even the smallest hint about himself, like his secrets and his fears would be safe with him. 

“Maybe I should keep you around, if you make my flowers look like _ this _,” Bitty says as he gestures to the ground that now radiates a comforting warmth inside the little hideaway. 

Jack can only laugh at that as they finish up their work and sit down for a break and another cup of tea. 

Bitty takes a long sip from his cup before asking, “When we met, you said that you were running away from something.”

“Yes,” Jack says hesitantly, gripping the handle of his teacup a little too tightly.

“What exactly are you running from?”  
  


Jack takes a deep breath before saying, “Expectations.”

“What kind?”

Just-” he lets go of his cup and sets his hands on his lap. “My father, he wants the best for me…”

“But?” Bitty adds.

Jack meets his eyes. “But I don’t think he’s ever asked if it’s what _ I _want.”

Bitty nods, but doesn’t respond. He blows at his tea and takes another sip, waiting for Jack to continue.

“I have a lot of people relying on me, and I know they expect me to want this,” Jack says, making sure not to reveal too much. “And I do. I think.”

“You _ think _?” 

Jack pauses. “I _ do _want it, I just...don’t know if I’m worthy of it.”

Setting his cup on the small table between them, Bitty looks at Jack with a warm smile that breaks through the cold undertone of his skin. 

“I get it. You want to make these people proud, but it’s costing you.”

“Costing me what?”

“Freedom. Autonomy.” He rests his chin in his hand. “The chance to find yourself before it’s all chosen for you.”

Jack’s eyes widen. Bitty is _ right _ ; that is exactly what he feels he’s losing. A chance to make a choice, to really search within himself and know what he truly needs to be fulfilled besides what his father has told him since the moment he could understand the words. The opportunity to _ find himself _, and what really makes him happy.

How did Bitty _ know _?

“How did you...”

Bitty gives a small, almost nervous laugh. “I’ve been told that I’m quite good at reading people.”

Jack guesses that’s not the entire truth, but who is he to ask when he’s being just as secretive?

Still, it’s interesting how easily Bitty understands without even knowing the whole truth. 

Standing up from the stump, Bitty puts his hands on his hips and looks around the garden before saying, “Well, I don’t know about you, but I think it’s about time we make our way back.”

Jack nods, standing up as well and following Bitty to the entrance of the garden and back into the woods. “Thank you, for listening, I guess.”

Bitty’s smile widens even more somehow, the brilliance of it making Jack want to shield his eyes, but he finds himself welcoming it instead. 

“Anytime, sugar.”

“What do you mean ‘Soleil doesn’t have any beaches’?”

“I mean, we just don’t.”

“Why?”

“Well…” They’re sitting on the steps of Bitty’s front porch, the wood creaking with the weight of them both. “There’s no moon in Soleil. No moon, no tide, no beaches.”

“Interesting.” Bitty takes off his shoes and digs his toes into the sand, eyes fixed on the ocean in front of them, waves creeping up the shore and back again. “Do you like what you see?”

Jack thinks for a moment before responding, “Yes. It’s...very calming. Definitely not anything I’d see in Soleil.”

“A change in scenery can do wonders, trust me,” Bitty says, bumping his shoulder with Jack’s. “And the ocean air is amazing for clearing the mind.” He takes a deep breath and exhales, eyes closed and face unburdened. “See? You try.”

Jack sets his eyes on the water and, watching the waves crash and form, breathes fully through his nose and out his mouth before turning back to Bitty with a soft smile. “You’re right. I feel a lot better already.”

And he _ does, _ but he can’t help but let his thoughts wander into all those fears about whether this was the right idea or if he’s broken his chances of ever being what everyone expects him to be. Does he even _ want _to be what they hope for? No matter how hard he tries or how much fresh air he breathes, he can’t seem to make the noise in his head go quiet, even for just a minute, even with Bitty looking at him like a friend he’s known for much longer than two days. 

“I’m glad,” Bitty smiles, and his eyes crinkle at the corners, flecks of gold in his irises being illuminated by the moon’s light above them. Jack finds himself not regretting his decision when he looks into them and feels just slightly more at ease. 

“Now, time for dinner!” He says as he hops up from his place on the steps and opens the door to the cabin. “You coming?”

Jack breathes in one last scent of the sea breeze before slowly coming to stand. “Yeah. I’m coming.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos are appreciated as always! <3


	4. 12 Days Before the Summer Solstice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He finds it comforting, how in this moment he wants to tell him everything.

** _CONJUNCTION_ ** _ _

_ “The term applied when two planets are in close proximity to each other in the sky, from the perspective of an Earth-bound observer.” _

It’s been seven days since Jack left that note and ran away from his problems and, just as he had hoped, his eyes have been opened to so many things he never would have known if he had decided to ignore everything happening in his head and follow his father’s wishes. 

He’s practically nocturnal now, sleeping while those little bits of sunlight creep over the border and learning more about Lunaris while the moon is overhead. Learning more about  _ Bitty _ , or as much as he  _ can  _ learn. 

It’s not that Bitty isn’t talking; he tends to talk  _ too  _ much, in all honesty. He’ll go on for hours about Lunaris’ seasonal patterns (“It’s cold. It's always cold!” “Even in the Summer?” “Jack, it’s Summer  _ right now _ .”) But he doesn’t seem to want to talk when the questions are geared towards himself. He shuts off, almost physically so, becoming quiet and words forming cautiously as though he has to be very careful with how he answers. 

It’s frustrating because Jack wants to know  _ more _ . Not just about Lunaris and its strange cultures and traditions, but about Bitty himself. Jack has never been this fascinated with anyone in his life. 

Who wouldn’t be? You’re running in the woods to a place you can’t even picture and all of a sudden you’re met with a man who’s aura is cold but his smile is warm. He leads you to his home and lets you sleep on his couch, and you don’t even know his real name. But you trust him; you just wish he would trust you back. 

Though it’s not as though Jack  _ isn’t  _ keeping his fair share of secrets, so who is he to judge?

It doesn’t make it hurt any less though, when he extends a branch only for Bitty to push it away, or break it altogether. 

Bitty’s hands are glowing, working the dough for a pie crust on the countertop. He probably thinks Jack can’t see him — with his back turned away — but he can, just slightly. Jack can see the tips of his fingers, all bright white and soft blue as Bitty rolls out the dough before setting it in the tin. He lets his calloused fingers circle lightly around the edges, increasing in brightness before being hidden by Bitty’s back. 

For a moment, Jack thinks he’s dreaming it, the vibrance of Bitty’s hands as they work. 

When Bitty closes the oven, his hands no longer have that blue in their veins. Bitty turns around, smiling before he places his eyes on Jack and jumps.

“Jack! I thought you were outside,” he says, wiping the flour off his hands and onto his apron. 

Jack nods. “I was, but I thought you were done with dinner, so…”

“Oh, of course! Silly me,” Bitty laughs, a little unsure. “It’ll be just a little longer, honey.” He picks up two plates and moves over to the food waiting on the stove. 

Not even registering the pet name, Jack asks, “What were you doing?”

“Finishing up the pie, darling. What else could I be doing?”

“No, I mean, your hands; they were glowing.”

Bitty jerks, and then the shattering of ceramic fills the room. 

Jack flinches as the broken plates spread across the floor. And then, silence. 

Jack is the first to move, kneeling and beginning to pick up the mess. Bitty stays frozen, eyes on Jack, before a soft “Oh!” escapes his mouth and he meets Jack on the floor to start hastily picking up the pieces as well. 

“I am so sorry! I’m just... I’m such a mess,” Bitty says, stress evident in his eyes as he moves quick hands across the floor. 

Jack shakes his head. “No, I’m sorry. I-” 

They both freeze, hands grazing as they go to pick up the same shard of ceramic. Bitty’s hands are cold and clammy, and Jack can’t decide whether it’s from nerves or the blue light that was there just moments before. 

He shakes his head once again. “I obviously asked something I shouldn’t have.”

“No, sugar, it’s-” Bitty pauses before leaning back on his feet, palms resting on his thighs. He lets out a tired sigh. “It’s...complicated, that’s all.”

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.” Jack lowers his gaze to the floor. “But I just...want you to know that you can trust me, I promise.”

Bitty puts his hand on Jack’s knee, causing Jack to look back up and into the soft brown of his eyes. “Oh, honey. I wish I could.” He removes his hand, and Jack finds himself instantly missing the touch. “But there are some things I have to keep hidden to protect myself. You understand that, right?”

“I do.” Jack understands that better than anyone, the importance of self-preservation. He just wishes Bitty could see through him, see that Jack is someone he can count on to keep his secrets safe.

After only seven days of knowing one another, he should probably be scared of how much he finds himself trusting Bitty, but he isn’t; He finds it comforting, how in this moment he wants to tell him  _ everything _ . He bites his tongue.

Bitty smiles, a little sad at the corners. “Thank you.” He rises to his feet, offering Jack a hand. “Now let me get us some new plates so we can eat this dinner before it all goes cold.”

Jack takes Bitty’s hand and lets his surprising amount of strength haul him upright. 

He tries to smile away his doubts, giving Bitty a playful punch on the shoulder to ease the tension. 

“Sounds like a plan.” 

They eat in relative silence, Jack awkwardly complimenting Bitty’s cooking as his mind continues to wander. Whatever Bitty’s hands had been doing is...familiar, even though he’s never seen anything like it. Well, except for his own special abilities, but this is different from that; less aggressive and more healing, at least from what he thought he’d seen.

They had become so much more comfortable around each other, but now, Bitty is distancing himself. It’s unnerving, how quiet he is as they finish eating and go to wash the dishes. 

Jack knows he needs to fix this; his anxiety is flaring from the tension, and he doesn’t want to destroy this ounce of companionship they’ve been able to form.

So, he breaks the silence.

“I’m sorry,” Jack admits, abruptly as he hands Bitty the now clean plate to put in the cabinet. Thankfully, Bitty doesn’t drop it this time. “For making you feel unsafe. I shouldn’t have asked that, it’s really none of my business.”

Bitty’s eyes widen as he averts his gaze intently to the sink. “It’s fine, really! You did nothing wrong. I...I overreacted.”

“You didn’t overreact. It was obviously a sensitive topic and we barely know each other.”

“We don’t.” A heated blush spreads across Bitty’s cheeks as he looks back up at Jack, clean dish still in hand. “But I want to; know you better, that is.”

Jack blinks, vision flitting across Bitty’s face and back to his eyes. “So do I.”

Bitty’s tongue flicks out to wet his lips and Jack finds himself tracking the movement, almost not hearing Bitty’s response. “Is it weird? That I feel like I’ve known you for much longer than a week?”

Jack’s breath hitches. “No, I get it. I feel it too.” 

“It’s like...I want to tell you everything, and it terrifies me.”

“So do I.” He pauses. “But, somehow, I’m not scared of it.”

Bitty sighs, and Jack begins to count the freckles on his nose to calm down. He gets to ten before Bitty says, “I need to be careful, and there are things I _have_ to hide, but I wish I didn’t have to.” 

“I know.”

“I hope you can understand.”

“I do.”

Bitty’s smile is blinding and reviving all at once, and Jack feels that pull deep in his chest once again; that intense  _ want _ for something he can’t quite place. 

“Well,” Bitty says, breaking the surprisingly profound moment they’ve found themselves in. “I don’t know about you, but I think we should move this party to the couch. I’m  _ exhausted. _ ”

And so they do just that. Jack makes room for him on the couch as Bitty goes into his room and comes back with a book, obviously well-loved with its bent spine and dog-eared pages. 

“I like to read before going to bed. I thought it might help you get to sleep a little easier,” he explains, sitting cautiously beside Jack and leaving a good foot of space between them. “Only if you want to, of course.”

“I’d love to.” Jack smiles, taking the book from Bitty’s hands. “Here, we can take turns reading it aloud.”

Bitty smiles back, closing the distance between them by a single inch. “That sounds perfect.”

So Jack reads, soft and slow, letting the fantasy tale of Bitty’s novel of choice calm him. Bitty closes the distance one inch at a time before sidling up against Jack’s side and resting his head on his shoulder. His breath evens out and Jack can tell that he’s fallen asleep. 

Somehow, after everything that’s happened today, Jack feels as though they’re closer than ever now, and not just physically. Jack feels safe in Bitty’s home, on Bitty’s couch, with Bitty’s trust, however far that trust goes. As he finishes the first chapter, he knows that things have changed, and he’s not terrified, not as much as he knows he should be. For the first time in years, he’s excited for what comes next.

Jack puts the book on the side table, rests his head on top of Bitty’s, and lets Bitty’s almost unnoticeable snoring lull him to rest. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos are appreciated as always! <3


	5. 7 Days Before the Summer Solstice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack is safe here; He’s safe with Bitty, and he wants to tell him everything.

** _TIDAL FORCE_ **

_ “the gravitational pull exerted by a celestial body that raises the tides on another body within the gravitational field, dependent on the varying distance between the bodies.” _

  
  


It’s been almost a week since that night in the kitchen, and Bitty seems to be gradually letting some of his artfully constructed walls come down. Jack sees it in every smile Bitty directs his way, every laugh hitting him like a sunbeam, seeping through his shirt and making his chest warm with the sound of it. It’s odd, how someone as radiant as Bitty can live in a place so cold and dark. 

Jack finds himself wondering what Bitty would look like under the sun, surrounded by the lush green meadows that surround Soleil on all sides, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he looks up at a vivid blue sky. 

Jack finds himself wanting to show Bitty his home, all the places his mother used to take him when he was young. He wants to introduce him to Shitty and watch as he gets overwhelmed by Shitty’s intense and frankly alarming enthusiasm. He wants to show Bitty what he’s really capable of, witness the look on Bitty’s face when he brings the sun into view for him. 

Jack wants. He knows it’s too much, but he  _ wants. _

He wants to know what the hell he’s supposed to  _ do _ . He thought running away would make things less complicated, would help him make a decision he can trust is the right one, but meeting Bitty has turned that on its head. Jack’s more desperate than ever now to find an answer to the question that’s been sitting in his brain since he stepped foot into Lunaris for the first time.

Should he return? Does he even  _ want _ to? 

This is where he finds himself, sitting by the shore with Bitty, the moon pushing the tide precariously close to their feet and back again. 

That small bit of brightness from the sky above them washes over Bitty’s face like a halo, and Jack realizes that though he would be luminous under the sun, Bitty thrives beneath the moonlight. 

“Everything alright, hun?” 

Jack whips his gaze away from the swoop of Bitty’s bangs and down to eyes that are looking at him with a soft kind of concern. 

He nods, eyes back to the sea. “Just...have a lot on my mind.”

“I see,” Bitty says. “Want to talk about it?”

He knows he shouldn’t, that the risks are too high, but Bitty would never do anything to hurt him if he knew. 

Still, he treads lightly.

“This...job, that I have, it’s-” Jack sighs. “There’s a lot of pressure, to not fuck it up.”

Bitty nods; Jack continues. 

“And I don’t think I’m good enough for it, all that power, all those people looking up to me. My father always tells me to  _ be better _ , that this is in my blood, and it’s all I’ve ever known. I thought that going away for a while would help me accept that, but coming here, meeting  _ you _ ….” Jack locks eyes with Bitty, who stares at him intently and  _ listens _ . “It’s shown me that there’s so much more than what’s expected of me, and now I don’t know  _ what _ to do.”

Jack takes in a sharp breath, hands shaking slightly. Bitty’s looking at him like he can see right into his core, like he  _ knows. _

“Well, you want to know what  _ I  _ think?” Bitty asks.

Jack stares at the gold in his irises and nods.

“I think that you are very brave, and that whatever you decide will be the right choice. You  _ are  _ good enough, for anyone and anything.”

Bitty takes Jack’s hands in his, squeezing their palms together. “You don’t need to  _ be better _ , you just need to be  _ you;  _ no one can make that choice but yourself.”

Jack doesn’t know what to say. He feels as though he’s beginning to thaw, and Bitty’s hands are what are keeping him from melting completely, fingers cool against his. 

“Your hands are so cold,” he blurts out, causing Bitty to laugh so brightly he feels it in the skin of his hands.

“What can I say? I guess I’m coldblooded.”

Before Jack can think and Bitty can pull away, he tightens his grip and says, “Here.” 

“What are y-”

Jack’s hands are glowing. His magic manifests in swirls across the back of his hands, a slight tingling sensation growing from where their skin makes contact. His powers aren’t as strong here, with so little sunlight to soak up and channel into, but Jack finds he likes it, the subdued sort of energy he’s been able to create compared to the kind that made him run away in the first place. 

It’s all thanks to Bitty and this little stress-free world he creates just by being in Jack’s space. He doesn’t have to worry about making a mistake because Bitty doesn’t care, doesn’t  _ know  _ that Jack’s entire sense of self-worth is based on whether or not this power is safe in his hands. And it  _ is  _ safe with him — at least here and now — with Bitty’s small hands encased in his, cold skin heating up under Jack’s touch. 

Jack is  _ safe  _ here; He’s safe with Bitty, and he wants to tell him everything. 

“Bitty, I-” Jack joins Bitty in looking downwards. “I’ve been hiding something from you.”

Bitty is speechless as he stares at their interlocked hands. He takes a second to respond. “I know, Jack. We  _ all _ have something to hide; it’s ok.”

“I know, but...I don’t think I  _ want _ to hide anymore, not from you.”

“Oh.”

Jack squeezes Bitty’s hands lightly and takes a deep, shaky breath. On the exhale, he lets everything go.

“My name isn’t Jack. Well, it is, but-” He holds onto Bitty’s hands as if they’re the only thing keeping him from running away again. “I’m not  _ just  _ Jack, I never have been.”   
  


Bitty finally looks up at him, confusion evident in the crease of his brow. “What do you mean?”

“I...” He finds himself thinking of Shitty in this moment, the mantra he used to cheer him up coming to the foreground of his mind. “I am Prince Jack Zimmermann, heir to the kingdom of Soleil-”

Before he can finish, Bitty snatches his hands from Jack’s as if badly burnt.

“Bitty, are you-”

“I’m sorry I- I have to go,” he says, voice almost a whisper as he quickly stands and sets a fast pace toward the cabin.

Jack sits dumbstruck for a few seconds before jumping from his place in the sand and running after Bitty, squeezing his hands so hard his nails leave moon-shaped crescents in his palms.

“Bitty, wait!” Jack stops at the bottom of the steps, hands slowly dimming as he catches his breath.

Bitty has his hand on the doorknob, but he pauses, head down and staring at his feet. 

“You said you trusted me.” 

“I do!”

“Then why did you wait so long? I just wanted to help you, Jack. Why would you lie to me?”

“I didn’t lie! I just-” Jack sighs. “I was scared. I didn’t think you’d understand…”

Bitty laughs, but it isn’t the bright tone Jack is so used to hearing; It’s bitter, almost sad. “Of  _ course  _ I wouldn’t  _ understand _ . How could I?” The hand on the doorknob is shaking slightly, and so is Bitty’s voice as he says, “But I’d  _ never _ hurt you, Jack. I can’t believe you’d think-”

“I know that  _ now _ !” Jack interrupts, voice breaking. “I don’t want to hide from you anymore! I want you to know everything  _ because  _ I trust you...more than I probably should.”

A heavy silence forms, Bitty facing the door with his arms wrapped protectively around himself. Jack — as always when it comes to Bitty — hates the quiet and goes to break it.

He goes up a step, cautiously. “I want you to trust me, too. I’m not the only one with a secret-”

“That’s different!” Bitty yells, turning sharply to face Jack. His eyes shine with tears and Jack can only think about how beautifully the moonlight reflects off of them even in this moment. “I can’t tell  _ anyone,  _ no matter how much I-” He takes a sharp inhale. “No matter how much I want to. I’ve been hiding for much longer than you have; it’s all I know.”

Jack wants to get closer, to wrap Bitty in his arms and drain that look of fear from his face, but he keeps his distance, afraid that Bitty might break under the pressure.

So Jack stays, solid on the step that creaks with every shift of his weight, eyes never leaving Bitty. 

“It doesn’t have to be.”

Bitty wipes at his eyes with the back of his hands, “What do you-”

“It doesn’t have to be all that you know. You don’t have to keep hiding...not from me, at least.”

There's a long pause, the sound of the waves filling Jack’s ears and raising his heartbeat one crash at a time. 

Now it’s Bitty who breaks the silence.

“...I can’t; I just  _ can’t _ .” He opens the door. “I’m sorry.”

“Bitty…”

“I’m going to bed. Goodnight, Jack.” 

The door shuts, the sound mixing with the waves in Jack’s head. He sits heavily on the steps, holding his face in his hands. 

“Why do I fuck everything up?” Jack asks, no one around to hear him but the moon, which is beginning to fall slowly from the sky. That small wash of orange and purple he’s come to expect from the day is much less comforting and more unsettling now.

The tingling in his hands clouds his thoughts just enough for him not to realize that Bitty had said  _ ‘goodnight’ _ . 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos are appreciated as always! <3


	6. 4 Days Before the Summer Solstice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the midst of change and tough decisions, they’ve found each other.

** _PARALLAX_ **

_ “The apparent offset of a foreground object against the background when your perspective changes.” _

  
  


Jack has been thinking too much, letting the sound of it overtake his mind and leaving him in a state of unrest rivaling his first few days away from the sun. He hasn’t eaten much — not even a slice of pie — since he told Bitty everything and watched as it ruined the friendship they had carefully created just like he was afraid it would.

Speaking of Bitty, Jack hasn’t seen much of him since their fight. He’s become eerily silent, barely even remembering to make enough food for two most nights. They eat, and the silence is overwhelming, then Bitty disappears into his room only to come out when the moon rises, leaving the cabin and Jack all alone until the perpetual sunrise. 

Jack needs to talk to Bitty. He wants to make things right and with the Solstice fast approaching, he doesn’t want to leave with things as they are, torn apart and uncomfortably quiet. 

Bitty is hiding from him — Jack knows — but he doesn’t understand  _ why _ . 

So Jack goes to the one place he knows he can find him. 

When he makes his way through the brush, he notices that the flowers are duller than normal, even the ones native to Lunaris that usually glow with a healthy light under Bitty’s love and care. 

As his eyes land on Bitty, sitting in his usual spot with a cup of tea, he realizes the flowers aren’t the only thing that have lost their shine. 

Bitty doesn’t look up, but Jack knows he’s noticed him by now as he sets his cup down and sighs.

“What do you want?”

Jack freezes. That’s the first full sentence Bitty has directed at him in  _ three days _ , and it’s laced with that sad sort of bitterness he had heard that night by the door. It stings, but Jack curls his palms into fists and braces himself.

“Would it be alright if we just...talked for a while?” His voice is shaky, but he continues. “I promise I won’t waste your time.” 

Bitty sits, staring at Jack like he looked at the glow of Jack’s hands, with wonder and a tinge of fear. 

“Fine,” He answers, hands moving to bring the cup back up to his lips. “I suppose I can accept the company.”

Jack lets out a breath and gives Bitty a smile, one that is poised to break at any moment, and takes a seat across from him.

And so they talk, cautiously, trying to mend the bond Jack had so easily broken. 

“Why have you been avoiding me?” Jack asks.

“I haven’t been-” Bitty pauses, then sighs in defeat. “Ok, I  _ have  _ been avoiding you, but I didn’t know what else to  _ do _ .”

“You could have  _ talked _ to me, like we’re doing right now.”

Bitty rolls his eyes in annoyance, but the small quirk of his lips gives him away. “It’s not that easy.”

“It could be,” Jack adds, wanting so badly to reach out and take Bitty’s hand which is visibly shaking around the handle of his teacup. “If you let it.”

Bitty laughs a little at that, though Jack can still hear a slight sadness to it. “You know, I never thought you had a way with words before, but maybe all your princely charm is helping with that now.”

Jack lets himself laugh lightly along with him before saying, “I’ve never had an ounce of charm in my life, trust me, but I think being here, meeting you, has changed a lot of things for the better.” 

Bitty’s eyes begin to shine with tears, and Jack takes his hand out of reflex. 

“Bitty, I’m sorry. I said something wrong, didn’t I?”

Wiping his eyes with the hand not being held in a tight grip, Bitty says, “No! You’re fine, I just-” He shakes his head lightly. “It’s just a lot.”

“What do you-”

“I just...I’ve been alone for what feels like  _ forever _ , Jack. I didn’t think I’d ever have this.”

Jack doesn’t let go of his hand, just loosens his hold slightly. “Have what?”

“A friend.”

“Oh.” Jack looks into Bitty’s eyes and feels  _ something  _ within him shift. 

“When you’ve been on your own as long as I have, you start to think you’ll never find someone, that you’ll be isolated forever with no one around to-” He tightens his grip on Jack’s hand. “To hold your hand, like this.” 

Jack looks down at where their fingers interlock, and feels his own eyes begin to sting with quickly forming tears. He squeezes his eyes shut before looking back at the streaks of wetness on Bitty’s cheeks.

“And it scares me, Jack, that you could leave at any moment, back to the crown and your  _ life _ , and I’d be all alone again.”

He doesn’t know what to say to that. With the Solstice only four days away, Jack still has no clue what he should do. Before he met Bitty, he would’ve made his way back to Soleil by now to do what he’s been trained to do, but now? It’s like this hold he has on Bitty’s hand is grounding him, keeping him from ever leaving Bitty’s side and this hidden place he’s come to love so much.

“You could break my heart, Jack, without even trying.” 

“I couldn’t.” Jack shakes his head insistently. “I’d never hurt you, I promise.”

And the thing is, he’s telling the truth. He doesn’t know why, but he doesn’t think he could ever leave Bitty now. It’s like Bitty has taken a hold of his heart and if he never saw him again, he’d never be able to raise the sun, the hole where Bitty used to be becoming too much to handle. Even when he was home and surrounded by people he cares about, he had always felt a pang of loneliness deep in his heart, simmering underneath his ribs, a fire begging to be put out.

Bitty — in such a short time — has doused that flame and left a soft warmth in its place, healing him from the inside out. 

Jack watches Bitty take a deep breath and exhale slowly, smile quivering slightly as he looks into Jack’s eyes. “I believe you. I know I shouldn’t, but I do.” 

They sit there, palms holding on for dear life as they let the rest of their tears fall together. Jack wants to reach out and wipe them away from Bitty’s cheeks, but everything feels so fragile, like more than one point of contact could shatter this bubble they’ve hidden in to heal. 

Jack lets his hand warm Bitty’s once again, the little sparks of gold no longer making Bitty run away, but hold on even tighter. 

He lets the static sensation under his skin calm them both until they’re smiling and laughing, Bitty finishing his tea with his other hand, never letting go. 

After what feels like hours, they finally make their way back as the moon begins to fall. 

As they walk across the beach together, keeping close, Jack desperately wants to take Bitty’s hand again. It feels almost like an itch he needs to scratch, or a spark of energy begging to erupt, somehow more powerful than any magic he feels coursing through his veins. Their fingers brush, and Jack can swear the touch is electric. 

Bitty doesn’t flinch at the contact, but neither of them bite the bullet, instead continuing on until they’ve reached the densely packed sand of the shoreline. Jack can feel the water seep through the soles of his shoes as he watches Bitty remove his altogether and cuff his trousers up to his knees and sleeves to his elbows. He takes a tentative step into the water before submerging himself up to his hips. He turns his head just enough for Jack to see his side profile and lets a goading smile spread across his lips. 

“Don’t just stand there, silly! Come and join me! The water’s fine.”

So Jack does, toeing off his tattered boots and throwing them beside Bitty’s a good distance away from the tide. The wet sand feels odd beneath his feet and the water is just as freezing as he expects it to be, but somehow not unpleasant; he feels it deep in his bones, releasing the stress that has swelled up over the last few days of tense interaction. Jack lets his body shiver as he meets Bitty, water only reaching mid-thigh.

Bitty lightly touches the goosebumps on Jack’s arm and laughs. “I thought you’d be used to the cold by now!”

“Bitty, I control the sun with my hands. I’ll  _ never _ get used to the cold.”

Jack finds himself staring at the hand on his forearm, the weight of it so real and  _ there _ , and he wonders for a moment why he was so reckless, why he almost let himself disappoint Bitty just like he did his father, how he almost let this all go, why he’d ever  _ leave _ it. Energy forms like pinpricks on his skin, but the cold ocean water wrapping around his legs and Bitty’s fingers resting just below his elbow help him control the feeling and accept it, this overflowing sense of comfort he hasn’t felt in years. 

That is, until Bitty smiles at him with a mischievous look in his eyes and says, “Maybe this will help.” 

Bitty’s hand leaves his skin, and Jack doesn’t even have time to be disappointed as freezing water splashes against his torso and soaks straight through his shirt. He glares in Bitty’s direction, but there’s absolutely no anger in it as he can’t help but let his mouth turn up at the corners. 

“Thanks. I think I’m practically immune now,” Jack says as he rests his hand on the wet patch of fabric on his stomach. 

Bitty laughs, unafraid and without hesitation, smile overtaking every other feature on his face. “Actually, I think you might need a bit more resistance training than  _ that _ .” 

Before Jack can even so much as laugh in response, more ice-cold water is thrown his way and Jack decides he has no choice but to fight back.

An all-out battle begins, shirts getting soaked and screams of laughter ringing through the air as the sky above them is steeped in strokes of blue and orange, sunlight coming as close to the moon as it dares. 

Jack is freezing, shirt sticking to his skin as they finally call it a draw and sit themselves down in the sand. He can’t help but feel a sense of deja vu as he looks at Bitty looking up at the sky, but the anxiety Jack felt that day is gone, replaced by something new, a feeling he can’t quite place but decides he enjoys as he admires the curl of Bitty’s eyelashes and the look of absolute peace on his face. 

“Got something on your mind?” Jack finds himself asking.

Bitty sighs, though his smile never falters as he answers, “All the time, though I tend not to talk about it. Had no one to talk about it  _ with,  _ until you, I suppose.”

Jack looks out towards the sea before saying, “You  _ can _ talk to me, if you want.”

A small laugh reaches Jack’s ears, and he looks back to see Bitty eyeing him cautiously before bringing his legs up against his chest and resting his cheek on one knee. “And oddly enough, I do….Want to talk to you, that is. I find I quite enjoy it.” 

Jack doesn’t answer, just lets Bitty take his time, watching as he curls his body further; out of a need for warmth or a want to protect himself, Jack can’t tell.

It feels as though several minutes go by before Bitty finally speaks again. 

“Three years ago, I...I left my home.” He shakes his head, eyes cast towards the shoreline and never once meeting Jack. “Well, more like ran away from it.”

Eyes going wide, Jack’s breath hitches, but he doesn’t say a word, just lets Bitty continue. 

“I knew I wasn’t the son my parents were hoping for, they made that very clear. And I couldn’t stand it anymore, being such a disappointment. All the whispers I’d hear as I walked through town...it was all so loud, like I couldn’t even hear myself  _ think _ .” He lowers his head and closes his eyes, voice cracking. “So I ran away.”

Jack doesn’t take his eyes off of him, feeling as though Bitty would disappear completely if he looked away for even a second. 

“And the thing is, I wasn’t planning on staying away for long. I told myself I only needed a break from it all, that’d I’d go back in a few weeks and my father would be fuming and my mother would break down in tears, but it would be alright; I’d do what I needed to do and be better,” Eric says, looking out at where the waves meet the shore.

“But then I found that garden and this beach and they were both hidden away from the rest of the world just like I always wished I could be. After a few weeks, I laid right here in the sand and everything in my head went quiet for the first time in  _ years _ , and I knew right then that I could never go back, not if I wanted to be myself; not if I wanted to be happy.” 

Eric smiles then, and turns his head to face Jack, a warmth to his eyes despite the ocean breeze making the rest of his face look even paler with the cold. He wipes a few tears from his cheeks and says, “You see? We’re not so different, you and I.” 

It’s in this moment that Jack realizes how stupid he’s been, for not trusting that Bitty has his best interests at heart, that he just wants to help. Bitty is so much stronger than he looks, and Jack was wrong to believe that he wouldn’t understand. Even if Bitty doesn’t know what it’s like to be in Jack’s royal shoes, he’s been through his own set of struggles that have left him just as broken and confused and was able to come out of it alive and  _ happy _ . Bitty may be lonely, but he sure as hell isn’t alone anymore, and neither is Jack. In the midst of change and tough decisions, they’ve found each other. 

Jack doesn’t know what to say other than, “Thank you, Bitty-”

“Eric,” Bitty interrupts, slowly stretching his legs out in front of him. “My name is Eric.”

“Eric.” Jack likes how it feels, saying it out loud, and Jack can see Bitty —  _ Eric _ — blushing at the sound of it. “Thank you, Eric, for trusting me.”

Eric smiles, “Of course.”

A silence permeates the air between them, making Jack realize just how easy it would be to close the distance and let Eric’s eyes guide him to an answer to all of this; what his subjects need, what his father wants, whether he should even return at all or stay right here, by Eric’s side and with the sand between his toes. Before he can do so, Eric breaks the moment.

“I know I’ve been quite the distraction, but I hope I’ve helped you make the right choice, whatever that may be.” 

As Eric averts his gaze back to shore, Jack looks at him and for the first time in so very long, the noise inside his head goes quiet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Fact #2: Bitty's moment where he opens up on the beach was the second thing I wrote for this, right after their meeting scene! Idk what it was about this fic but it a lot of ideas came to me right before going to bed-
> 
> Comments and kudos are appreciated as always! <3


	7. 2 Days Before the Summer Solstice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anxiety doesn’t like to be rational, and Jack is...well, he’s scared.

** _RETROGRADE_ **

“ _ When an object moves in the reverse sense of ‘normal’ motion.” _

  
  


The last two days have been some of the best Jack has ever had. He’s finally freed himself from the overwhelming number of voices in his head telling him that every single thing he does is wrong. The only thing occupying his thoughts is  _ Eric Eric Eric,  _ each laugh filling his ears like a song.

He’s been searching for ways to make Eric’s smile stick permanently to his face, watching as all the little things he does make Eric happy. He isn’t opposed to using magic for his own selfish reasons when it means he gets to see Eric so amused. 

Like when he boiled the water for their tea by simply wrapping his fingers around the handle, and Eric laughed. 

“Seems like a waste of power, but definitely convenient!”

“Teatime is never a waste,” Jack had said and watched as Eric rolled his eyes, but the smile he couldn’t hold back gave him away.

Or when he snapped his fingers and the fireplace erupted, warming them both from where they were snuggled up on the couch.

“Goodness! Warn a boy next time!” 

Jack had simply pulled Eric closer and smiled into his hair.

Or now, as they walk along the beach, close enough for their fingers to brush. This time though, Jack doesn’t move away. He tentatively wraps his fingers around Eric’s and squeezes.

Eric looks up at him then, the look on his face questioning yet hopeful.

Jack doesn’t wait for him to ask why, just averts his gaze to their interlocked hands and says, “Your hands are always cold, so…”

Eric simply laces their fingers together and squeezes back. “Thank you.”

“No problem,” Jack responds, feeling the warmth in his cheeks and hoping his palm isn’t disgustingly sweaty from the energy he lets flow gently from it. 

They make their way to the steps of the cabin at a leisurely pace and when they reach the door, neither of them wants to be the first to let go. 

Eric keeps his eyes locked on their hands as he softly says, “This has been a lovely night.”

“It has,” Jack responds, just as quietly as he stares at the crown of Eric’s head.

“Thank you for spending it with me.”

“There’s no place I’d rather be,” Jack lets himself say, and when it leaves his mouth, he knows it’s the truth; he doesn’t want to be anywhere else besides right here, on this rundown porch in a kingdom much difference from his own, with Eric by his side and the moon making its quick descent above them. 

It’s in this moment that Jack knows he’s a goner. 

He can hear Eric’s breath hitch at the words, and he hopes he hasn’t said something wrong. 

But then Eric steps closer, slowly, as though he’s testing out the waters. Without thinking, Jack steps in too, until their hands are trapped between them and Jack has to drop his head almost to his chest to look Eric in the eyes. 

Jack swears he can count the specks of gold in his irises this close, but he doesn’t have time to do so because Eric is closing his eyes, and leaning in. Jack leans in too, feeling as though his body is moving on its own accord, like it knows what it wants before he does. 

They’re so close, Jack can feel Eric’s breath on his lips.

_ Snap! _

Eric jumps back, startled. “Did you hear that?”

Jack can’t seem to be able to form a single word as he gazes at Eric’s lips, so he nods. 

“It sounded like someone stepping on a branch.” Eric squints his eyes towards the forest.

“Probably just a deer or something.”

Looking back at Jack, he shakes his head. “I’m sorry I-” he wrestles the cabin door open. “I’m going to bed.”

Snapping out of his trance, Jack responds, “Eric, wait-”

“Goodday, Jack!”

_ Slam! _

Suddenly all alone, Jack lets out a shaky breath and covers his face with his hands. “I’m such an idiot…”

“You got that right, Jack-o!”

Jack jumps, turning his head to the trees to find Shitty with his hands on his hips and the most serious look on his face Jack has ever seen. 

“Shitty, what-” Jack lowers his voice to a whisper. “What are you doing here?”

Stepping out of the brush yet still keeping a safe distance, Shitty says, “I could ask you the same thing.”

Silence. All words evaporate from Jack’s brain, his mouth slightly agape as Shitty continues.

“Jack, pardon my French, but what the  _ fuck  _ are you doing?”

“I-” Jack sighs, dropping his head. “I’m sorry.”

“Yeah I get that; I read your note, which was pretty angsty by the way.” He crosses his arms in front of his chest, which makes Jack notice his uniform, the official garments given to him by the king which he usually refuses to wear.

“Father sent you, didn’t he?”

Shitty shrugs. “Can’t say he didn’t give the orders, but I wouldn’t have followed them unless I really wanted to.” He lets his arms fall to his sides, face going soft. “And I missed you, man. I was terrified you’d  _ died  _ or something when you didn’t come back as soon as you said you would. We’re  _ all  _ worried, especially Bob.”

Jack scoffs. “He’s worried because he can’t retire if I’m not around. If he really cared, he would’ve tried to find me sooner.” He knows he’s being unreasonable, but he can’t help it. It’s as though Shitty being here has popped the bubble he and Eric have created, and now all the noise in his head is back at full volume. 

“He wanted to respect your wishes.” Shitty points a finger at him accusingly. “You  _ said _ not to look for you, to give you time. Well, he did. That’s why I’m here now. Pretty last minute, if you ask me, but we had no clue where you could’ve gone.”

Jack doesn’t respond to that, just shuts up and squeezes his fists together to try and slow his breathing.

“But I guess that doesn’t matter now. Come on, let’s head back before nightf-”

“No!” Jack startles even himself at that. “I- I can’t, Shitty.”

Shitty answers slowly, as though he needs to be careful with how he responds. “Ok...care to tell me why?”

Jack takes a deep breath, closing his eyes before saying, “I met someone.”

“Well, yeah, I can see that. Sorry for cockblocking, by the way.”

“You didn’t-” Ok, maybe he did, but that’s beside the point. “I didn’t just  _ meet _ him, I think I’m in  _ love _ with him.”

“Hell yeah bro! And I’m happy for you, but I don’t see how-”

“But it’s so much more than that. I’m in love with him, but I think I’m falling for Lunaris, too. This place feels more like home than Soleil ever was.” 

Shitty sighs, bringing his hands up in front of him. “Look, man, I get it. You’re under a lot of pressure, but you can’t just keep running away from your problems forever. Someday you’re gonna have to face them, and you might as well just get it over with now.”

“But I can’t-”

“Don’t give me any of that ‘I’m not worthy’ bullshit!  _ I  _ think you’re worthy, your  _ parents _ think you’re worthy, hell, the whole  _ kingdom  _ thinks the sun shines out of your ass and technically, they’re not even wrong! The only one who doesn’t think you’re worthy of the crown is  _ you _ , dumbass!”

Jack knows, deep down, that Shitty is right; he pretty much always is. But anxiety doesn’t like to be rational, and Jack is...well, he’s  _ scared _ . He doesn’t want to be the reason the people of Soleil lose that faith, and he can’t be certain that he won’t be if he  _ does _ go back. Still, he knows he’s being stupid, hiding away when so many people are counting on him to lead them.

His shoulders slump, all the anger draining from his body. “You’re right. I can’t stay here.”

Shitty’s eyes light up, and Jack can see his feet begin to bounce slightly as he turns towards the forest. “Exactly! Now let’s get going-”

“But I’m not leaving Bitty.” Jack is careful not to say Eric. He trusts Shitty with his life, but if it took Eric this long to let Jack know the name, he doesn’t think he’d want anyone else learning it. 

Stopping in his tracks, Shitty says, “Well, of course not, dude! Go get your boy! You can give him the grand tour once we arrive.” He winks, wiggling his eyebrows at Jack.

Jack rolls his eyes and turns to open the cabin door. “I won’t be long.”

“You better not!”

Closing the door once he’s inside, Jack leans back against it and takes a look around the cabin. Every corner is filled with a warmth Jack can’t help but find infectious, and he knows right away that he won’t be able to stay away for long. Maybe he and Eric can visit every so often, after the sun is set in place and Jack has many hours before he’ll need to deal with it again. 

He’ll miss Lunaris like a limb, but he can’t wait to see Eric illuminated by the sun. 

Jack goes quietly down the hallway to Eric’s bedroom door, opening it slowly to diminish the creaking sound the hinges always make. 

Taking a step into the room, Jack freezes. Eric is asleep, face almost completely obscured by his blanket and tufts of golden hair fanning across his forehead. As Jack steps closer, he can see that there’s a soft smile on his face even now, with his cheek squished up against the pillows; a look of absolute contentment, like there’s no place he would rather be.

Like he’d never want to leave. 

Quietly tearing a piece of paper from the journal on Eric’s desk, Jack writes the words quickly, leaves the note next to him on the nightstand, and places a kiss, feather-light, on the top of his head. 

He closes the door with a barely-there  _ click _ and makes his way through the house and back to where Shitty is waiting for him, gritting his teeth and willing the tears in his eyes not to fall. He keeps it inside because he has to. If he doesn’t, he’s not sure he’ll make it home.

_ I’m Sorry, _

_ Jack _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the slight off-white around the scene break annoys the hell out of me but I can't really fix it lol 
> 
> Comments and kudos are appreciated as always! <3


	8. 1 Day Before the Summer Solstice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It should be easy, he should be able to do it in his sleep, it shouldn’t be this hard.

**_PERIHELION_ **

“ _ The closest point to the Sun in a planetary body's orbit.” _

  
  


“You know you’re gonna have to talk to them at some point, right?”

Jack doesn’t answer, instead taking an interest in the way the sun seems to be much brighter than he remembers, like his eyes are no longer used to it. He doesn’t seem to be used to anything in Soleil anymore, the afternoon heat sticking to his back uncomfortably and the urge to sleep when the day isn’t even halfway over making him feel even more unsettled than he already does as they near the back entrance to the castle.

“I know, Shitty. I will, I promise,” he says, wiping the sweat from his forehead. “After I rest for a bit.”

Shitty laughs, the bitterness cut by his insistent need to keep things lighthearted. “That’s probably for the best. I think your mom would faint if she saw you in these clothes.”

Jack looks down at his current attire and realizes just how out of place it looks, surrounded by pristine white marble floors and lavish art decorating the walls at every turn. He doesn’t think anything other than personally tailored silks and polished shoes have stepped foot in his home, but Jack is comfortable; rough but comfortable in his boots that still have clumps of sand stuck to the soles and the shirt Bitty had let him wear even though everything he owned was much too small for him. He knows it’s uncouth and that if anyone saw him, they wouldn’t even  _ think _ he was royalty, but he doesn’t want to remove any of it. It might be the only thing left to remind him of Lunaris, of  _ Bitty,  _ and how much this whole ordeal has changed him in more ways than just his appearance.

They make their way quietly up the spiral of steps leading up to Jack’s wing of the castle and towards his bedroom door. He opens it slightly and says, “Thanks, Shitty. You-”

“Ah! No more of that self-deprecating shit. Now go get some rest.” He shoves Jack lightly through the door. “And don’t go blaming me if your folks interrupt your beauty sleep; they know you’re back and they’ve missed you  _ almost  _ as much as I have.” 

Jack lets out a tired laugh. “Of course.”

He sits at the foot of his bed and begins untying his laces. There’s a deep silence, and Jack thinks Shitty has left him alone until he hears a sigh, almost inaudible if not for the dead quiet of the room.

“You didn’t have to leave him behind, you know.”

Jack just smiles at that, a sadness seeping through the corners, and he wishes Shitty was right.

“You wouldn’t understand.”

Shitty shakes his head. “Yeah, maybe I don’t really get it.” He wraps a hand around the door handle and gives Jack one more glance. “But I’m not sure you do either.” 

The door shuts with a  _ click _ , and Jack is left there in his dirty socked feet, hands grasping the end of his king-sized mattress. He moves his eyes to the window, to the forest almost invisible from such a distance, but the curtains block his view. 

So Jack lays on top of his covers in a too-small shirt that smells like Bitty — like sea salt and something sweet — and lets himself dream of crashing waves and buttery pie crusts and laughter beneath the moonlight.

☀️

Jack wakes up to his mother’s smile, sitting at the foot of his bed.

“Maman?” 

Alicia Zimmermann, queen loved by all, a composed image of royal professionalism, breaks down in tears, gripping onto Jack’s pant leg. “Jack...I missed you so much, baby.”

Sitting up, Jack quickly gets his arms around her shoulders, cradling her head against his chest, just how  _ she  _ used to comfort him when he was young. He misses it now, the feeling of a hand running through his hair, the absolute certainty that you are safe and loved and protected. He lets her cry into the collar of his shirt and rests his chin on top of her head.

“I’m sorry.”   
  


She slaps his chest lightly. “Oh, none of that! I understand why you did it, I do, and I’m not angry in the slightest, but I was  _ terrified _ . I thought you had been killed, just like that boy and I-”

“What boy?” Jack asks, loosening his grip on his mother’s shoulders.

Alicia pauses, raising her head from Jack’s chest. “You don’t remember?” 

Jack just looks at her, eyebrows furrowed, and shakes his head.

“Well, um…” she wipes at her face with the sleeve of her dress. “A few years ago, the king and queen of our neighboring kingdom, Lunaris, they….well, they lost their son.”

“Lost?”

Alicia looks out the window as she says, “He just...disappeared one day. They had no idea where he could’ve gone. They searched for months with no luck and after almost a year of hoping he’d come back, they had to come to terms with the fact that he probably never would.” 

She takes a deep breath. “The king and queen believed he was kidnapped, so we stayed on high alert, not knowing if they would come for  _ you  _ next. They didn’t, thankfully, but….the prince was never seen again; they doubt that he’s even still alive.”

Eyes wide, Jack joins his mother in gazing out the window, curtains now pulled aside. He doesn’t think he’s ever heard this story, though he hadn’t known much about Lunaris in general before he found himself there. Soleil tends not to socialize with them much, all the legends and myths surrounding their two kingdoms making it seem as though they can’t interact even if they wanted to. This world they both inhabit couldn’t possibly handle it, the sun and the moon coming together in the sky; it would surely end in disaster.

At least that’s what Jack’s been taught. He’s not even sure he believes it anymore, not after finding a home in Lunaris, after meeting Bitty.

“How did you hear about this?”

“They sent an emissary to warn us,” Alicia explains, a little wetly from the last of her tears. “We may not communicate with each other often, but that doesn’t mean we don’t care. I was devastated when I heard; I thought, ‘I don’t think I could survive it, if that happened to me’....and I almost didn’t, when you didn’t come back.”

Jack doesn’t wait to wrap her in his arms again, tighter this time, as though she might vanish if he let go of her again. “I’m so sorry. I never meant to frighten you.”

“I know! You left that note and I shouldn’t have been so worried, but-” she grips at the fabric on his chest, wrinkling it even further. “I don’t know what I would’ve done if something had happened to you.”

He lets his own tears fall then, into his mother’s roots as he squeezes his eyes shut as tight as they can possibly go. “I’m here now, I’m safe. I promise I’ll never scare you like that again.”

Alicia pulls back slightly to rest a hand on his cheek. “I know you’d never hurt me on purpose. It was something you thought you had to do, and I don’t fault you for that.” She uses her thumb to wipe at the wetness under his eyes. “But I can’t help but react this way. I may be queen, but I’m a  _ mother _ first. I’m so sorry you’re hurting, that you felt you had to run away to feel any relief; I feel like I’ve failed you.”

Jack doesn’t let her continue that train of thought, shaking his head insistently. “You’ve done nothing wrong. This is all on me.” He lets his arms fall to his sides, completely drained. “I’m here now. While I was away I...I got better, I learned a lot and I got better.”

“Where  _ did  _ you run off to, anyway?” She asks, lifting the mood with a laugh and a pat on his cheek before sitting back slightly. 

Eyes wide, Jack finds himself laughing along, exhausted from crying but smiling nonetheless as he answers, “The forest.”

“The forest? What-”

“And the beach.”   
  


“The beach...but we don’t-” Alicia gasps. “Wait, were you in  _ Lunaris _ ?”

Jack simply nods, and she slaps him lightly on the shoulder. “You’re kidding! How was it? Oh, I haven’t been there in  _ ages _ !”

“You’ve been there? But I thought-”

“Just because we don’t work together doesn’t mean I can’t vacation there every once in a while,” she giggles. “So...How did you like it? It’s sad to think of you all alone out there…”

Shaking his head, a playful smile gracing his lips, Jack says, “Oh, I wasn’t alone.”

Alicia tilts her head, eyes narrowing.

“I met someone.”

Alicia Zimmermann, the queen herself, lets out an undignified squeal.

“His name is Bitty.”

His mother looks close to tears once again, hands clasped together and a look on her face that Jack can only describe as  _ pride _ . “When do I get to meet him?”

Jack’s smile breaks at that. “Well, I-”

“Oh, you have to tell me all about him!” Alicia interrupts, patting Jack’s knee. “And Lunaris! I bet it was just  _ magical _ !”

He wills himself not to break as he realizes just how much he wants to do just that, tell his mother  _ everything _ ; His journey through the woods, the garden where he found Eric, where Eric found  _ him _ ...

the cabin on the beach, eating Eric’s pies-

Making dinner with Eric, drinking tea with Eric, reading with Eric, swimming in the ocean with Eric…

Falling in love with Eric.

Jack’s smile comes back to him then, warm and genuine. “You would love him, maman. He was-”

The door is swung open suddenly, and there stands his father, expression tight and arms crossed.

“Training room. Now.”

Jack stands up from the bed then, and looks to his mother, her eyes reassuring and grounding; they remind him of Bitty’s, in a way, yet instead of a peaceful sunset, they’re an ocean that’s overflowing. She stands to meet him and gets on her tiptoes to wrap her arms around his shoulders in a hug.

“We’ll talk later,” she whispers into his ear and gives him a kiss on the cheek.

He simply nods, and she leaves the room to allow him to get dressed. He doesn’t  _ want  _ to take off the shirt, but he knows it’s not fit for a prince, for a  _ king _ , so he carefully folds it and places it beside his pillow before dressing quickly, breath coming in sharp and stilted.

Jack notices the brooch, still sitting right where he left it on his bedside table. He picks it up and examines its intricate carvings before shaking his head and tossing it on his mattress. He doesn’t have time to wallow in anything right now; his father is waiting. 

Bob isn’t waiting for him outside the door when he arrives, but the door is cracked open slightly, so Jack hesitantly steps inside. 

His father is there, standing in the center of the room, hands clasped behind his back as he gazes at the glowing orb balancing on its pedestal. His back is tense and as Jack comes to stand beside him, he doesn’t say a word. 

“Father, I-”

“No,” Bob interrupts, finally turning his head to look at Jack. “We’re training now. Remember the rule, leave your problems at the door.” 

He lowers his head. “You’re right. Sorry.”

“Now, show me what you’ve got.”

Jack isn’t sure he has anything  _ to _ show. He had been certain when he got settled in Lunaris that it was the change of scenery that cleared his mind, but it wasn’t just that. It was Eric worming his way into Jack’s veins and making his magic flow so freely, like it wasn’t such a terrifying thing anymore. He had felt like a kid again, with his powers just barely making themselves known, too weak to raise any celestial beings but so pure in what it  _ could  _ do. 

When Jack had first stepped foot in Eric’s garden, it had reminded him of when he used to run around the castle grounds, bare feet hitting the dirt as he’d weave through the rows of flowers lining the walkways. He had always asked the gardeners if he could help them ‘make the flowers smile’, and his parents would laugh and watch him grasp the stems gently between his chubby fingers, eyes growing wide at the petals beginning to glow as if he himself was so mystified over what his own small body could do. 

As he grew older, Jack could feel it begin to weigh on him, the power he used to be so intrigued by. The more days that passed and the closer he got to his twenty-first birthday — to the day those powers would be what held a nation together — the more he wanted to forget his magic existed at all. He would do what he had to, raise the sun and nothing more; everything else, no matter how beautiful, was too much to carry. 

But then Jack met  _ him _ , and suddenly he  _ wanted  _ to use his gift on the simple things if only to make Eric smile. He had felt the energy flow through him, but it no longer felt as though he was drowning; it was like a warm hum coursing through his bloodstream, making him feel like he could do anything.

But now, away from Eric and back in his home with his father’s eyes watching every move he makes, it’s as if a dam has been built, blocking Jack from that sense of security and making his blood run cold.

He tries, he does. Jack has practiced the same ritual nearly every day since he turned eighteen and his powers had fully developed; it should be easy, he should be able to do it in his sleep, it shouldn’t be this hard. 

But it is, and as Jack lowers his hand, squeezing it against his chest to try and stop the burning, he wishes he was never born with any of it in the first place. He isn’t strong enough on his own, he never was; it took meeting Eric to see that. Jack isn’t meant to be king, but he was born without a choice, and he can feel his father’s disappointment as he grits his teeth and begs the tears not to fall. 

“Jack-”

Bob’s hand reaches for his shoulder and Jack flinches, turning his body away. “I’m fine! I can go again, I promise! Just-”

“Jack!”

Jack pauses, and as he turns back around to look at his father, he notices how fast he’s breathing, how he can feel his heart wanting to beat right out of his chest. He feels lightheaded, Bob’s voice muffled as though he were underwater; Jack can barely make out the words when he starts talking again. 

“Sit down, son,” he thinks his father says as he’s brought down to the floor, marble smooth against his fingers as he tries to ground himself. “Deep breaths...that’s right, in and out-”   
  


He doesn’t realize he’s shaking until Bob’s arms are wrapped around his shoulders, hand coming up to coax his head onto his shoulder. Jack doesn’t hug back, but he grips the sleeves of his father’s suit jacket out of reflex, letting the feel of the golden accents on the cuffs ground him in reality, and suddenly Jack feels once again like that little kid that learned early on that his biggest enemy was in his own head, battling him from the inside, his parents the only thing keeping him from falling. 

Slowly, his breath evens out, and Jack feels like any source of energy he  _ did  _ have has spilled right out of his chest and into a puddle around them both.

“Papa?” he says, voice cracking as he struggles to form the sound.

Bob holds Jack’s head up then, and Jack can’t remember the last time he saw his father cry — he’s not sure he ever  _ has _ — but the tears are there, staining his cheeks and making his eyes red and puffy, voice filled with guilt as he says, “Jack, I’m so sorry.”

“For what?”

“For-” He wipes his cheek with his free hand. “Alicia warned me that I was being too hard on you, but I didn’t listen.”

Jack goes to respond, but Bob continues. “I don’t know how I didn’t see it, how badly it was affecting you.”

“It wasn’t-”

“Don’t lie to me, Jack. Look at you.” He gestures towards Jack’s hand, still holding Bob’s sleeve in a death grip. “You haven’t had an attack like this in years, not since your powers fully manifested.” 

Jack loosens his grip, but doesn’t let go. His father is right; he hasn’t had something like this happen in almost three years, at least, not in front of his parents. He’s had his fair share of panic attacks in the privacy of his room, his whole body trapped under the duvet as he waited for sleep that would never come. Jack didn’t let anyone see — not even Shitty — just how bad it had gotten, and once he had found a safe haven in Bitty’s hideaway, he forgot just how tightly wound he had been for so long; it’s as though leaving that space has dropped that weight on his chest again, and Jack is back to where he used to be, struggling to breathe all alone in his own home.

Accept this time, he’s not alone. His father is here, sitting close, worry coming out of him in waves, providing all the attention Jack had forgotten the feeling of. 

Bob takes the hand that isn’t against Jack’s cheek and puts in on his shoulder, squeezing lightly. “I realize I’ve been quite...intense. I thought that was what you needed to succeed, to _be_ _better_.”

Jack cringes slightly at the words.

“It’s just-” Bob sighs. “I’m so proud of you, son. I couldn’t ask for a better heir to the throne. I think I was so hard on you because I wanted you to be the best you could possibly be, but you already  _ are _ , and I know you’ll make Soleil proud.”

Pushing himself to his feet, Jack nods. “I hope so.”

“I  _ know  _ so.”

As Bob pulls him in for a hug, tight and prolonged, Jack wishes it was a lie. His father  _ believes  _ in him when he’s not sure he even believes in himself. He did, for a while, walking along the shore with Eric. He believed in a lot of things then; that he’d stay there, that Eric could love him back, that he wouldn’t have to say goodbye, but sometimes believing isn’t enough. He wishes it was. 

He wants to make his father proud, to make his  _ people  _ proud, but he can’t help but feel like he’s going to disappoint them all tomorrow, no matter how strongly his father believes. 

And that just might be the worst part, that after all of this, his father might regret those words.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos are appreciated as always! <3


	9. The Day of the Summer Solstice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack takes a deep breath, in and out, and prays that this isn’t the moment he regrets ever coming back.

** _SUMMER SOLSTICE _ **

_ _ _ “The solstice that marks the onset of summer, at the time of the longest day.” _

  
  


Shitty doesn’t even bother to knock, just bursts into Jack’s room with fervor, his hair meticulously styled and his uniform proudly showing off his job as ‘Royal Advisor and Best Fucking Friend of one Prince Jack’, as he calls it. 

“Rise and shine, my sleeping beauty! Today’s the day-” Shitty stops when he finally notices Jack, standing by the window with the curtains pulled away with his hands as he stares at the few stars he can see lingering in the sky. “You good, bro?”

Jack turns to look at Shitty briefly before continuing to gaze out the window. “Couldn’t sleep.”

Shitty laughs, moving to take the outfit Jack’s parents had specially tailored for this very day out of the closet. “I’d be more surprised if you  _ did _ . Today’s the big day! Are you excited?”

“I guess,” Jack says as he reluctantly moves away from the window and begins to undress.

“It’s a pretty big deal!”

“Sure.” He folds Eric’s shirt and places it on the foot of his bed.

“You’re gonna be  _ king _ , dude! I can’t believe it…”

Jack grits his teeth as he buttons his trousers. 

“I mean, your whole life’s practically led up to this moment!”

“Shitty.”

Shitty stops his excited hand-waving and looks at Jack, whose hands are now visibly shaking around the top button of his shirt. “Fuck.” He gently pushes Jack’s hands away and begins to fasten the buttons himself. “Sorry, dude. I didn’t realize-”

“It’s fine.” Jack shakes his head, fighting off the urge to grip onto the fabric of his pant leg; he can’t go wrinkling his ceremonial dressings, no matter how badly he needs to ground himself. 

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.”

“Ok, I trust you,” Shitty says cautiously as he slowly assists Jack in putting on his tunic and overly extravagant royal jewelry, embroidery laced with gold and necklaces hanging heavy against Jack’s chest. 

As he pins the royal family crest to Jack’s lapel, the only sense of normalcy in the whole ordeal, Shitty adds, “You’re gonna be amazing, bro. Trust me.”

Letting himself smile for the first time all morning, Jack says, “I trust you.”

“You better! Now, finish getting ready. We shouldn’t be arriving late, what with the whole kingdom waiting.” He sets Jack’s shoes at his feet.

“Of course.”

Trying to ignore the intrusive thoughts worming their way into his head, Jack finishes making sure he looks the part, clothes fit for a king, extravagant in their style and itchy against Jack’s skin. 

Shitty’s right; His parents, his subjects, the sun...they’re all waiting for him, trusting in him to not let them down.

  


They make their way to the center of town, the path almost invisible without the sun overhead, the sun  _ Jack’s  _ supposed to raise into the sky in a matter of minutes. 

Though it is hard to make out many things in the dark, Jack can easily see the maypole erected in the middle of town square, surrounded by what Jack guesses to be every citizen of Soleil. He can’t see his parents, but he knows they’re there, standing on a stage made entirely of stone with the maypole right behind it. 

He and Shitty enter from behind so as to not be taken over by the crowd, but no amount of extra precautions could have prepared Jack for the noise his people make when he steps on stage. It’s thunderous, hoards of people who’ve been waiting patiently in the dark erupting at the sight of him. It makes Jack dizzy, how much they all love him, even when he’d left them for his own selfish reasons. 

This close, he can see his father smiling, standing center stage with the crown of Soleil perched perfectly atop his head. His mother is beside him, tears streaming down her face before the ceremony has even officially begun. 

Jack takes a deep breath, in and out, and prays that this isn’t the moment he regrets ever coming back.

Bob gestures to the crowd, voice booming and proud as he says, “Beloved citizens of Soleil, it is my honor to be with you today to celebrate the passing of another Summer Solstice and more importantly, the crowning of my dear son, Jack.” The crowd erupts once more, but his father continues, words somehow still audible above the noise. “Serving as your king has been something I will cherish for the rest of my life. Giving this beautiful kingdom its sunlight every day was a job I’ve never regretted, but I’m not as young as I used to be-” The crowd laughs at that, and Bob smiles. “Even so, there’s no one else I’d rather have take my place, and I can’t wait for him to show you how hard he has worked for this moment.” 

He pats Jack’s shoulder and says, “Show them what you’re made of, son,” before going to stand next to Alicia, taking her hand in his.

So Jack does. He isn’t sure  _ what  _ he’s made of; magic, hope,  _ fear _ . Whatever it is, he channels it, standing center stage, his parents watching from the sidelines, his people holding their breath. 

He doesn’t dare breathe as he starts to let the energy buzz through his arms, lifting his hand ever so slowly upward. 

He doesn’t dare open his eyes, but he can feel the weight of it, the sun encased in his power, and as he pushes harder, Jack can feel light wash over his eyelids. 

The sound of celebration fills his ears, and Jack lets one eye open up to the sky. What he finds isn’t what he expected.

It’s the sun, high above his head. He did it. He raised the sun. 

Quickly, he claps his hands together to set it in place, but as skin meets skin, he winces. Bringing his hand down, he finds his palm covered in cracking blisters that are hot to the touch. 

It burns, more than it ever has before, and Jack isn’t certain he can handle another use of his magic without it melting his skin.

He smiles through it; he  _ has  _ to. Everyone is watching, praising his efforts with hope in their eyes. He can’t let the pain ruin this moment, no matter how much Jack thinks he might cry from it. 

“Let the festival begin!” His mother says, more excited than Jack’s ever heard her before, and the crowd begins to disperse, beginning their well-loved midsummer traditions set up all throughout town. 

His father gives him a nod, and Jack nods back, biting the inside of his cheek so hard he can taste metal. 

“Let the celebration commence,” Jack whispers to himself, feeling the heat of his hands burn through the fabric on his thighs.

As soon as Jack steps off the stage, he asks Shitty for gloves. 

“Why,  _ Your Highness _ , did you leave the palace with naked hands? How scandalous!” Shitty fakes concern, fanning his face with his own gloved hands.

Jack laughs nervously, hiding his hands behind his back as he answers, “I suppose I was in a bit of a rush…” The half-truth flows easily from his tongue, and though he knows he can trust Shitty with anything, he doesn’t want to concern anyone during what’s supposed to be a day of joy. 

“Well, lucky for you, Jackabelle, I always keep an extra pair on hand,” Shitty says, pulling a pair of white silk gloves from his inner suit pocket. 

Jack takes them cautiously, making sure his palms aren’t visible, and quickly slides them on. He doesn’t technically  _ need  _ them — his magic tends to make his body quick to heal — but he can’t afford to take any chances with too much sun exposure; he’ll have enough of that to deal with at the end of the day.

Shitty doesn’t acknowledge his odd behavior, instead opting to drape his arm around Jack’s shoulder and practically yell into his ear, “Time to party!”

Shitty leads Jack away from the stage, his parents waving at them as they go. Jack looks back at them, but has no time to give a wave as Shitty picks up the pace, pushing him towards the center of town. 

The whole kingdom is  _ alive _ as they set a leisurely pace through the festival grounds. Balloons of every color are tied to every surface they can be attached to, swaying lightly in the breeze. There are arches and streamers made of brightly colored paper hanging from the poles of streetlamps and littered across the ground and sticking to the soles of all the children who run by. Families are laid out across the grass on picnic blankets and a small band is playing in front of the fountain, letting the patrons throw their tips into the water instead of in the hat usually lying at the musicians’ feet. 

Their joy is infectious, and Jack wishes he could soak it all up like he is the sunlight beating down on his face. Instead, he can’t help but imagine the looks on their faces when Jack — hard though he tries — lets them all down. He wants to be able to celebrate too, to at least hum along to the tune of the music just as Shitty is doing so close to his ear, but he’s so  _ scared _ ; scared he’ll destroy their overwhelming pride at best, or put their lives in danger at worst. 

He can’t hide the shaking of his shoulders, not when Shitty has them in such a tight hold. 

Stopping abruptly, Shitty moves in front of Jack and places both hands on Jack’s shoulders. “You good, bro? We can chill in your room for a bit if you need a break.”   
  


“No, it’s fine,” Jack says, voice tight and jaw clenched. “I’m fine.”

“You sure?” Jack nods. Shitty wraps an arm around Jack’s waist and steers him towards the booths set up along the path in front of them. “I bet some food will get your mind off things! The wine wouldn’t hurt either.” Shitty winks, and Jack rolls his eyes in the fond way he always finds himself doing when Shitty is around. 

Jack lets his breathing even out as Shitty leads the way, and thinks about just how much more of a mess he would be without his best friend. 

Shitty buys him a loaf of bread and a glass of red wine, as promised. The herbs that were baked into the bread are calming — as they always are — when he takes a bite. 

The Summer Solstice, though fueled by the rare occurrence of his crowning this time around, happens every single year in Soleil, and it has many purposes. Not only does it mark the beginning of Summer, but it’s also a very important day for the magic users of the kingdom. The Zimmermanns might be the only people who can create magic from nothing, but that doesn’t mean no one else has any magic of their own. The enchantresses of the kingdom, who obtain their magic through the earth, learned centuries ago that the healing powers of the herbs they use are much more potent at the midsummer sunrise; while Jack was shakily bringing the sun to its peak, they were out harvesting so they could bake the herbs into bread, crush them into medicine, or craft them into charms. 

Speaking of charms, Shitty takes him on a tour of all the items for sale, including the jewelry the women were able to make so quickly this morning. Jack very rarely has the time to go into their shops on a regular day, so he really hasn’t seen any of the charms now set up in front of him; necklaces, bracelets, and rings, each with stones of all shapes and sizes made of pressed flowers and leaves. They’re all quite beautiful, but Jack really has no use for them.

That is, until he catches the glint of something out of the corner of his eye. Almost unnoticeable among the sea of yellow and orange, is a ring, the stone stark white with a slightly bluish hue seeming to surround it. Jack removes it from its case carefully, bringing it closer to his eyes to examine its glow. It’s all so strikingly familiar, he can’t look away. 

“You have a good eye, Your Highness!” 

Jack reluctantly moves his gaze away from the ring and to the woman behind the booth. She’s old, most likely in her seventies, with ashy grey curls tied up with a bandana and golden-brown eyes. She has several rings around her fingers and her large hoop earrings jangle side to side as she talks. Jack doesn’t believe he’s ever seen her before; he’d certainly remember if he had, what with...all of it.

She smiles, mouth stained with bright orange lipstick. “That ring right there is a special one. First of its kind, at least in these parts.”

Jack simply returns to admiring the piece of jewelry, turning it between his fingers. 

“You see, I was out harvesting this morning, as we always do on this day, when I came across something special. Right there, in the middle of a patch of hyacinths and geraniums, was a single white flower, one I’ve never seen in all my years!” She gestures excitedly, then points to the ring in Jack’s hand. “That right there, my dear, is a Moonflower.”

Startled, Jack has to catch himself from letting the ring drop to the ground. Of course,  _ that’s  _ why it seemed so familiar to him. Looking at the pressed petals, Jack is transported right back into Eric’s garden, the scent of freshly watered flora hitting his nose, the taste of bitter tea on his tongue, the sound of Eric’s laughter in his ear. It’s almost too much for Jack to handle. 

“That flower  _ never  _ grows here. I didn’t even think it  _ could _ until I laid eyes on it for myself; it’s simply magical!” the woman says, eyes alight. She pauses, examining the look on Jack’s face before adding, “It would be the perfect gift for a special someone...” 

Jack finds himself smiling fondly at the ring as Shitty elbows him in the ribs lightly. “Get it, man! Your boy would love it.”

“He’s not-” The woman is staring at them now, the look on her face one of pure interest. Jack lowers his voice to a whisper, though he can tell it won’t stop her from eavesdropping. “There’s no point, Shitty. I left, and that’s that. I don’t think he’d even  _ want  _ to see me again if I  _ did  _ go back.” 

He places the ring back in its casing, drops a few gold coins on the table, and pulls Shitty away from the booth by his wrist. He throws a “Thank you!” to the lady as they leave, her face utterly confused yet joyful as she scoops up the coins and stuffs them down the front of her shirt.

“I’m not even gonna ask what that was all about,” Shitty says as they lean against a brick wall in a small alleyway. Jack is about to thank him for not pushing when Shitty adds, “But I gotta be honest, dude. I don’t really get it.”

“Get what?” Jack asks, fixing the top button of his shirt so he has something to do with his hands. 

Shitty lets out an exasperated sigh. “Just- all of it, man! Why you left Bitty behind, why you’re so damn hard on yourself….why you won’t just  _ talk  _ to me.” His voice cracks at that, and Jack feels the guilt swelling in his gut. 

He doesn’t know what to say to make Shitty understand. Maybe Shitty was right; maybe  _ he  _ doesn’t get it either, but he’s just trying to protect himself, to protect  _ Eric _ , and he doesn’t know what else to do.

“It’s...It’s complicated.”

“No shit, it’s complicated!” Shitty spits out before covering his face with one hand. “Sorry, I just-”

“It’s okay, I get it,” Jack says, placing his hand on Shitty’s shoulder. “I’m sorry I’ve been such a dick lately.”

Shitty gives a weak laugh and says, “Must be all that princely angst combined with your newfound sexual frustration.” 

Jack punches him in the shoulder at that, but finds himself laughing along, the mood instantly becoming lighter as it always does when they’re together. “Shut up.”

“You know how hard that is for me, babe!” Shitty punches back. “Besides, you’re hard to shut up about, my totally platonic soulmate who I’d absolutely make out with if you weren’t already smoochin’ some forest boy-”

Jack puts Shitty in a headlock then, giving him a noogie to the sounds of “Dude! Not the flow!” and “Mercy! Mercy!”

As they walk out of the alley and back towards the center of town, Shitty knocks their shoulders together and says, “It doesn’t  _ have _ to be complicated, Jack.”

Jack only smiles at the ground in response, wishing what Shitty said was true, that it doesn’t  _ have  _ to be so complicated. But the thing is, Jack doesn’t get a say in what is easy. He may harbor magic he can barely contain, but in reality, Jack is powerless. He was never meant to stay with Eric, no matter how much he wanted to. He chose to leave his room that night, but he didn’t get to choose to come back; he  _ had  _ to, no matter how much it hurt to say goodbye. Maybe one day, by some miracle, he and Eric will cross paths again, but for now, Jack has no say in how his life will play out, not after tonight. 

  
  


Jack also kind of wishes Shitty was right about the smooching; he’s still a bit mad at him for interrupting that.

The bonfire has been lit close to the festival stage, and Jack and Shitty find themselves migrating towards it as the end of this long day draws near. A decently sized group of adults are dancing around the fire, many of them attempting to jump over the flames, as is one of many midsummer traditions. Jack has never really understood the ritual, knowing it is meant to bring good fortune for the year to come to anyone who could succeed, but not personally believing in it. 

He remembers vaguely, when he was younger and studying Soleil’s history, his father saying something along the lines of, “Rising above the flames ignites the heart, Jack. If you can succeed in that, love will surely find you.”

Jack always thought that was bullshit. 

Shitty, while pushing him in the direction of the pit, says, “Come on, man! This’ll totally get you laid!”

He digs his shoes into the ground, pushing back against Shitty’s weight. “It doesn’t- I’m not-” He looks behind his shoulder, glaring at Shitty’s wicked grin. “This is stupid.”

Shitty drops his hands. “Seriously, Jack, lighten up!” He snorts at his own unintentional pun. “I’m just trying to get your mind off the whole... _ you know _ ,” He mock whispers as points in the direction of the stage, where Jack will be standing — his life changing forever — in just a few hours. 

Jack sighs, raising his hands in defeat. “Fine.” He makes his way to the edge of the pit. “What do I have to lose?” 

The heat radiating off of the flames is intense, but it’s nothing compared to what he’s used to. The fire is always kept at a reasonable height for safety reasons, so it shouldn’t be too hard, right? If he fails, it doesn’t really matter; it’s not like he believes in all those fairytales anyway. 

“I believe in you, bro!” Shitty yells from behind him. As he makes a running start, he can faintly hear him tack on, “Please don’t die!”

Jack doesn’t die, of course; he makes it across the flames completely unscathed, only his calves burning with the impact of the landing. The fire isn’t very tall, after all. 

He dusts off his shoes, and the whole group surrounding the bonfire cheers and dances around him, chanting “Prince Jack!” with a few Kings thrown in here and there; he tries to block those ones out. Shitty jumps into his arms, and Jack struggles to hold his weight as he plants a dozen sloppy kisses onto Jack’s cheeks.

“I knew you could do it, dude! Never doubted you for a second!” Shitty rubs his cheek against Jack’s. 

Jack pushes Shitty away lightly after setting him back on his feet, wiping the spit from his face and grimacing. “Sure you didn’t.”

Shitty lets out a shrill laugh, and Jack covers his ears jokingly. 

Suddenly, Shitty goes silent. Looking past Jack’s shoulder, his face turning serious, he nods.

Jack whips his head around, finding two palace guards turning to walk back in the direction of the stage to stand beside the maypole, steps in complete unison and shoulders stiff. 

Turning back to Shitty, Jack beats him to it. “It’s time, isn’t it.”

“Almost, yeah…” Shitty says, slow cautious. “We better head over there.”

Squeezing his gloved hands into fists and taking one last deep, hopefully grounding breath, Jack answers, “Yeah...Yeah, we probably should.”

Shitty doesn’t rush, letting Jack set the pace. He knows when he reaches that stage, there will be no turning back. He can’t run away again, not with everyone watching. 

He has to hold onto that feeling for dear life, that peace he had felt and might never experience again, and let it carry him through to the end. 

So he measures his breathing and imagines walking along the sand, a smaller hand in his, taking it one step at a time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter ended up being WAY longer than originally planned...which is not uncommon for me lmao this fic was originally meant to only be about 8k words so-
> 
> Comments and kudos are appreciated as always! <3


	10. The Night of the Summer Solstice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I think we could do amazing things together if we just took the chance,” Eric admitted. “Don’t you think?”

** _ECLIPSE_ **

_ “an obscuring of the light from one celestial body by the passage of another between it and the observer or between it and its source of illumination.” _

  
  


Jack doesn’t say another word to Shitty as he nears the stage, watching as his mother and father whisper to each other secretively. He can tell that they’re worrying, that they’re hoping to the sun above that their son isn’t a fuck up, that Jack has the strength to pull this off. 

This is it, the moment Jack’s entire life has led up to. As he wills himself to take that first step up to meet them, he lets his mind drown out the excited chatter of the quickly forming crowd.

_ “Jack?” Eric had said, looking up at him from where his head had been resting on Jack’s shoulder as they read. _

_ “Yes?” Jack had moved his eyes away from the page then and down to meet Eric’s, only to find him much closer than Jack had thought. Eric looked hesitant yet curious as his gaze flicked across Jack’s face. _

_ “Can I ask-” _

_ “Anything,” Jack replied. “You can ask me anything.” _ _  
  
_

_ “Oh! Well, I just…” Eric averted his gaze to where his hands were splayed out on his lap. “Why did you run away?” _

_ “I thought I told you-” _

_ “No, I mean- why _ now _ ? You could’ve left at any point, right?” _

_ Jack had set the book down on the side table at that, taking a few long moments before responding. “I think it just...didn’t feel real, until very recently.” _

_ “What didn’t feel real?” _

_ He contemplated it for a second, all the aspects that had made him feel so trapped in the last few months. “The whole thing; being a prince, becoming king, having these powers and realizing what they’re for.” _

_ Eric simply nodded, willing Jack to continue. _

_ “When I was young, it almost felt like a game, like I was playing pretend and all of the lessons and training was just for fun. Twenty-one was such a far off age, it felt like I’d never even get there.” _

_ Jack inhaled deeply, letting the words come out with the exhale. _

_ “But the older I got, the more serious my father became. It wasn’t a game anymore, it was my purpose. My entire existence was dedicated to it, it started to feel like it was the only reason I was alive.” _

_ Jack felt Eric take his hand in his and give it a comforting squeeze; he gripped back just as tightly. _

_ “I found myself wondering, what happens after? Preparing for this moment, it’s all I’ve ever known. After that crown is placed on my head, is it all over? Is that where my story ends?” _ _  
  
_

_ Suddenly, Eric’s arms wrapped around his shoulders. Jack could feel the shape of Eric’s words on his neck as he said, “Your story isn’t over, Jack. Only _ you _ get to decide when it ends.” _

_ Jack hugged back loosely, hands resting on either side of Eric’s waist. Pulling back slightly, arms still draped across Jack’s shoulders, Eric smiled, eyes shining. _

_ “And if I have any say in it, I think it’s only just beginning.” _

His mother meets him at the top of the steps, her expression worried yet caring as she pulls Jack in for a short hug and lets him continue forward after he bends down to let her kiss his forehead. 

Jack tries not to dwell on the puffiness of her eyes or the redness in her cheeks as he now steps towards his father, who is willing the crowd to silence with the raise of a hand as he begins another practiced and professional speech. Standing behind him, Jack now waits for the inevitable, the moment everything becomes all too real, where his efforts will determine the importance of his worth. 

Discreetly, Jack removes one glove from his hand, stuffing the other in his pocket, his eyes never leaving his now uncovered palm. The wounds from several hours ago have begun to heal, turning into fresh scars that layer on top of old ones, bright red against Jack’s pale skin and hard to look away from. 

_ They were in the garden when Eric had sneaked up on Jack from behind, tapping Jack’s shoulder where it was hunched over a patch of tuberose. Jack turned his head to face him, view reaching Eric’s hips from his position on the ground. He was holding a single flower, mustard yellow and sparkling softly under Lunaris’ light. _

_ “What is that?” Jack asked. _

_ Eric twirled the stem between his fingers. “Evening primrose. One of my favorites. Isn’t the color gorgeous?” _

_ Jack nodded, though he wasn’t unaware of the fact that he wasn’t really looking at what Eric was holding, gaze drifting to the expression on Eric’s face as he admired the plant, smile alight and eyes filled with a sense of appreciation for the nature he had surrounded himself in. _

_ “Here,” Eric said, bending at the waist to tuck the stem behind Jack’s ear. “It brings out your eyes.” _

_ Frozen in place, Jack felt his cheeks warm at the statement, at the brush of Eric’s fingertips in his hair. Jack didn’t know how else to respond besides turning back to the patch in front of him, plucking one swiftly from the ground, and jumping up to meet Eric. _

_ Without saying a word, Jack set the tuberose behind Eric’s ear, the white of the petals contrasting beautifully with the honey-gold of his hair. He could feel Eric lean carefully into the touch, cheek soft where Jack framed it with his palm. _

_ They had many moments similar to this after they had reconciled, each one seeming even more intense than the last. It was as though they were underwater and neither of them could say a single word, instead opting to dive deeper into whatever was happening between them. _

_ But eventually, they had to come up for air. _

_ Jack removed his hand slowly, and Eric took hold of it with one of his own, his expression worried as he carefully traced the scars across Jack’s palm. _

_ “Jack...how did this happen?” Eric asked, touch barely ghosting Jack’s skin. _

_ Jack didn’t know how to answer other than with the truth. “Um...the sun.” _

_ “The sun? Jack, I-” Eric squeezed Jack’s hand. “How could it hurt you like this? I thought your powers-” _

_ “I’m not strong enough.” _

_ Eric loosened his hold slightly, but didn’t let Jack pull away. “What do you mean?” _

_ “I-” Jack looked down at where their hands connected. “I’m just not. It’s overwhelming, when I use my magic, like I don’t have enough strength to control it.” He gestured to the faded lines on his hand. “Sometimes it’s too much for my body to handle, so...it burns.” _

_ Eric tightened his grip once again, biting his lip as he stared down at everything Jack had to show for his work; proof that he was weak, that no matter how hard he tried, it was never enough. _

_ “Does anyone know?” Eric asked, voice a whisper despite their constant privacy. _

_ Jack shook his head. “No, no one. What could they even do, if they did? It’s all on me, to be better than this.” _

_ “What? Jack, you-” Eric paused, then locked eyes with Jack. “You don’t have to do this alone.” _

_ “What do you mean? No one else can-” _

_ “Can I be honest?” Jack nodded, confused, and Eric continued. “I’ve never understood it, why we think we have to keep to ourselves.” _

_ “Who has to?” _

_ “Soleil, Lunaris, we’re both so….so _ scared_ of what could happen, if we asked for help. We’re so deathly afraid of what we don’t understand that we think struggling all on our own is better than taking a chance.” _

_ “You mean...our kingdoms, working together,” Jack said, trying to let the concept settle in his brain. _

_ Jack never really understood it either, why their two kingdoms kept themselves so separate from one another. Maybe they _were_ afraid. No one could possibly predict what would happen if the sun and moon worked in tandem, if Soleil and Lunaris suddenly decided to break down their borders and co-exist. What the result would be — that unknown — was too much of a risk. Jack wasn’t afraid of the idea himself, he just never thought it was possible. _

_ “I think we could do amazing things together if we just took the chance,” Eric admitted. “Don’t you think?” _

_ Looking at Eric, the pull in his chest impossible to ignore, Jack said, “Yeah. I think we could.” _

_ “You shouldn’t be afraid to ask for help, Jack. Not from me, not from anyone.” _

_ “Thank you.” Jack interlaced their fingers, then paused. “And you shouldn’t be either. I hope you know that.” _

_ Inhaling sharply, Eric nodded. “Yes. I think I finally do.” _

He’s brought back to the present when Bob looks over his shoulder and gestures for him to come forward, no longer able to hide behind his father’s back and away from the world. 

Jack had not processed most of the words coming out of Bob’s mouth up until now, expecting the notion that he’s heard it all before. “_ This is a crucial moment for our people” _ and “ _ I’ll miss my duties dearly, but I trust my son to lead with pride” _aren’t exactly new proclamations to Jack. 

But his father continues, explaining the ritual and the absolute importance that everything goes smoothly. “What Jack is about to do is no easy task. Controlling the sun requires absolute precision. The time frame allotted to whoever holds this power is a short one and if the sun were to be late to rise or stay in the sky for too long, the results could be disastrous for our ecosystem.”

Yes. That. How could Jack forget? He isn’t playing with some fabricated orb anymore, this is the real deal. If he can’t lower the sun in time, he won’t just be shamed by the entire kingdom, he can mess with how everything operates, how they live their_ lives_. Is Jack being selfish, for trying to prove himself? For putting the entire kingdom at risk just for the chance to make his father proud? 

He’ll have to answer that question for himself now, the weight of it bearing down on his shoulders and making him feel as though he’ll sink right into the earth from the pressure of it all. 

“But there is no need to worry. I have complete faith that my son can accomplish anything he sets his mind to, and he has been dedicated to his training for many years.” Bob turns to Jack and smiles. “And I can’t wait for the moment I finally get to pass this crown along to him.”

The smile Jack returns is a little shaky, and he can feel a bead of sweat dripping down from his hairline to his jaw. His father takes a step towards him and places a firm hand on his shoulder.

“I know you can do this, son.”

Jack nods, and Bob answers with another encouraging grin, his eyes filled with hope and complete faith in Jack’s efforts. 

Stepping in front of his father, Jack keeps his gaze away from the crowd and downwards as he tenses the muscles in his hands until that familiar static sensation builds and builds. Squinting his eyes and gritting his teeth, Jack tries desperately to ignore the heat beginning to simmer, getting hotter and hotter beneath his skin. It’s almost unbearable, but Jack has to continue; his family, his people, are watching. 

He doesn’t even register the slow raising of his hand towards the sky as his entire arm goes numb. 

As Jack reels back, dropping to his knees and cradling his hand against his chest, he can’t even feel himself beginning to cry, can’t even try to hear the gasps from the crowd as the sun doesn’t drop an inch. 

His mother rushes to his side, grasping onto his shoulders. “Jack, my darling, what’s wrong? Please, talk to me!” 

Jack can’t respond with more than a groan as he tries to steady his breathing, to slow the rapid beating of his heart and the stinging of his hand. 

Bob comes to kneel beside Alicia. “Please, son, there isn’t much time. I know you can do it-”

“Don’t you see the state he’s in? He can’t do it, honey! It’s hurting him!” She raises her voice, the closest Jack has come to hearing his mother yell at his father in a very long time. 

“He can’t just quit, Alicia! He has to-”

“Holy shit!”

They both go silent as they turn towards Shitty, who’s looking up at the sky in surprise and a tinge of confusion.

His parents then turn their heads upwards, and their eyes go wide. 

“Is that-”

“It’s impossible-”

Suddenly, the fire in Jack’s veins grows less intense and the sunlight bearing down on his back grows cool. His heartbeat growing steadier all too quickly, Jack moves his vision to the sun above. 

But the sun isn’t there. Instead — in its place, wobbling slightly and outlined by a halo of sunlight from behind — is the moon.

“But...How-”

“Jack!”

The voice pierces through the chaos, and Jack whips his head towards the crowd. 

There, off to the side and with both arms poised upwards, is Eric. 

His hands are glowing, almost blindingly bright, illuminating his tense expression and flushed cheeks. 

Jack can’t do anything other than stare in awe. Eric _left Lunaris_, he went looking for Jack and _found_ _him_–

He can_ control the moon. _

“Jack, please! I can’t hold it much longer!” Eric yells, voice strangled as he uses all of his strength to hold the moon in place, covering the sun and giving Jack time. 

He’s giving Jack_ time_. 

Quickly, Jack jumps up from his position on the ground, grits his teeth and brings his hand up once again. But before he can begin to channel his energy, there’s a familiar hand on his shoulder. 

Bob looks at him and nods, eyes determined, and raises his own hand towards the sky beside Jack’s. 

It’s then that Jack realizes...Eric was right.

He doesn’t have to do this alone. 

They build their magic between one another, sharing the burden as they slowly bring the sun down from the sky. It doesn’t burn anymore, and for the first time in so very long, Jack feels strong.

He turns towards his father, who pulls him in into a bone-crushing hug; Jack finds himself holding on just as tightly.

“I knew you could do it, son,” Bob whispers, and Jack can feel his father’s tears against his own cheek. 

Bob gives him one last watery smile before turning towards the sky once again, the moon quickly beginning to descend above them, with only a few clusters of stars left behind. 

Jack looks back to where Eric was standing only to find him collapsed on the ground, chest heaving. 

“Eric!” Jack jumps off the stage and runs to him, kneeling beside Eric and holding him against his chest. “Eric, are you alright?”  
  


Breathless, Eric slaps Jack’s chest weakly. “I think so. It’s just….It’s been so long–”

“Eric...I’ve heard that name before…” Alicia says, wrapped in Bob’s arms and still a little shaken. 

She gasps, eyes wide. “That’s right, Prince Eric! The lost prince of Lunaris!” She covers her mouth with one hand. “He’s isn’t dead...after all these years!”

Jack locks eyes with Eric, who has frozen in Jack’s arms. “Is it true?”

Eric sighs, voice trembling as he says, “It’s true...Jack, I’m sorry– I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you, I–”

“Bitty.” Jack brushes Eric’s bangs from his sweaty forehead. “It’s ok, we all have something to hide. If anyone understands that, it’s me.”

“It’s you…” Eric whispers, pausing before he jumps slightly in Jack’s arms. “Oh my goodness, Jack! The sun...you did it! I knew you could–” 

“No, Eric, _ you _did it,” Jack responds, taking one of Eric’s freezing hands in his and holding it to his heart. “You’re….you’re incredible.

“We did it, _ together_,” Eric says, bringing his other hand up to frame Jack’s jaw. “I always knew we could.”

They stare at one another for a moment, the air electric between them. With tears in his eyes, Jack leans in.

And just as Eric always does, he meets him in the middle. 

Their lips connect, and Jack can see colors burst behind his eyelids, a firework of emotions shooting up and out as Eric deepens the kiss and throws his arms around Jack’s neck. 

When they finally break apart, Jack leans his forehead against Eric’s and sighs, a small laugh escaping his lips which Eric returns as he wipes a tear from Jack’s cheek with his thumb.

It’s a surprise that Jack can even hear the crowd at all over the euphoria in his own head, but the sudden silence is enough to make him take his eyes off of Eric for a moment. 

But his people aren’t looking at the two of them; their gaze is fixed towards the sky, which is suddenly not as dark as it was just a few seconds ago. 

No, it’s_ dancing _with color. 

Ribbons of blue, green, and yellow paint the atmosphere above them, gliding together across the dark expanse of stars, separating only to blend together again. It’s absolutely beautiful, like nothing Jack has ever seen before, as if it shouldn’t even be possible. 

Except with Eric — Jack thinks — anything seems possible. 

They can do such amazing things together, him and Eric; they can light up the universe.

The crowd breaks out in cheers, dancing and singing under the spectacle above them. The Solstice is over, Soleil has been saved, and Jack isn’t a failure; he never was. 

He catches eyes with his mother, who is staring wide-eyed at the sky, mouth slightly agape and smile never breaking.

He notices Shitty not far away, who looks at Jack with a grin and gives him a thumbs-up; he does a good job at hiding his joyful tears, but Jack can see right through him. 

He watches as his father removes the crown from his head and nods, eyes shining with an unabashed sense of pride.

Eric tugs Jack down to press their lips together once again, hands clasped tight behind Jack’s neck, the weight of him bright and heavy and_ there_. 

And as day and night come together above them, Jack knows he has Eric to thank; for letting him in, for not letting him go-

For giving him something much more powerful than the sun, a warmth settling deep at the core of his heart…

Something Jack will never run away from again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there you have it! I'm really proud of how this fic turned out and I hoped you enjoyed reading it! Make sure to check out the other fics in this event once they're up! Also be sure to check out the higher quality versions of the art for this fic by [missweber](https://missweber.tumblr.com/post/615029511035224064/art-for-all-was-golden-in-the-sky-zimbits-rated) on Tumblr! :)
> 
> come talk to me on Tumblr at [b1ttle](https://b1ttle.tumblr.com/) (my omgp blog) or [marc0bot](https://marc0bot.tumblr.com/) (my main)!! I love talking to people about my fics or receiving prompts!! <3
> 
> Also: I have a document of notes on this fic that go more into worldbuilding and the like which I'm kind of tempted to post as an extra chapter after this one; Thoughts??? I also have a small prequel fic about Bitty's run away story as well as a small sequel planned for when I have time! 
> 
> Just because the comic is over doesn't mean I'm done writing for it!! I have so many WIPS, events, and already posted fics to share with you all ^v^
> 
> Comments and kudos are appreciated as always! aka I'll love you for it-


	11. BONUS: notes and research

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I didn't expect anyone to really be interested in reading the notes and planning I'd done for this fic, but a good amount of you said you were down so here's the document I made before I wrote a word of the actual story (excluding my actual chapter-by-chapter outline cause that doesn't seem all that important)-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually ended up going way more in-depth with the worldbuilding and logistics of the setting/plot in these notes than I did in the fic (cause I had so many ideas ;v; most of which were not necessary to include but I'm just like this). This outline ended up being 10 times more extensive than any ones I've written in college so far....but I basically write my essays in like an hour, don't do a second draft, submit it, and somehow still get A's cause I know how to make myself sound smart,,,creative writing is the only time I'll ever put in any effort tbh- 
> 
> the one for the solstice is to the wiki page on solstices where I got all my info for all the festival traditions based on what multiple different countries do to celebrate it!
> 
> AND YES, I'm so intense I made PINTEREST BOARDS for this fic...they are linked and they are public if you wanna take a look (yet there's not much to them cause it was surprisingly hard to find pics with the right aesthetic???)

** GENERAL SETTING INFO **

  * The planet consists of 2 kingdoms; Soleil and Lunaris, they are not hostile towards each other but they pretty much never interact for fear that it could mess up the flow of their systems (those being the control of the sun and moon in space/their planet??)

  * Royalty lives in the center of both kingdoms (Bitty ran away to the outskirts of Lunaris, to a beach with a forest separating Lunaris from Soleil)

  * Kingdoms’ jobs are to raise and lower the sun and moon every day (for the planet or the entire solar system??)

  * Lunaris doesn’t receive sunlight and vice-versa; Lunaris becomes almost pitch black at designated day hours and Soleil becomes so during night hours. (where Jack and Bitty meet, right at the border on Lunaris’s side, sunlight slightly bleeds into the woods and the beach so daytime isn’t completely dark, more like how it looks right before the sun completely sets)

  * Both kingdoms still have seasons, they’re just slightly different in that Soleil is always sunny even if it looks like it should be cold and Lunaris is the opposite

** SOLEIL **

  * Current royalty: Robert, Alicia, and Jack Zimmermann
  * The new king is crowned on the current heir’s 21st birthday

**SUMMER SOLSTICE:**

  * _when the Sun reaches its highest position in the sky and is the day with the longest period of daylight._

  * Solstice in-universe is an all-day festival where the coronation of the new king (in this case, Jack) begins with him raising the sun and ends when he brings it back down from the sky to show that he is ready to take on the main task as king (which is the controlling of the sun)

  * **Climax:** Jack raises the sun but becomes too anxious to bring it back down at the end of the festival, threatening to throw off the flow of the sun and moon’s very concise schedules. Cue Eric ‘sneaking’ into the kingdom to, at first, try to convince Jack to come back to Lunaris with him, but instead deciding to help Jack by using all his magical strength to raise the moon and cover the sun to give Jack time to calm down (the solar eclipse is born!!). He uses so much power he collapses (he’s fine tho), and Jack runs over to him once he and his dad have worked together to lower the sun.

  * This moment could also be the “big reveal” where we learn that Eric is the runaway prince of Lunaris, unless I want to have him tell Jack at some point beforehand-

  * “Jack! I did it!! I actually did it!” _*cue Jack speechless*_ “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I was so afraid, Jack, that they'd find me. I couldn’t go back and let everyone know I couldn’t do it, that I was too weak to be their king” “you’re not weak, Bitty. You’re the strongest person I’ve ever met. I wish I was as brave as you are.” “Oh sweetheart, you’re the bravest man I’ve ever known. I owe you so much, for finding me, for staying, for letting me fall for you. I was hidden away for so long, but with you, I’m not afraid anymore.” “Neither am I/Me neither” **OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT**

  * have this moment end with a kiss that creates the aurora borealis

**SOLSTICE CELEBRATION:**

  * “It is believed that on Enyovden a variety of herbs have the greatest healing power, and that this is especially true at sunrise. Sorceresses and enchantresses go to gather herbs to cure and make charms.”

  * “Bonfires, speeches, picnics and songs are traditional”

  * “often celebrate by erecting a midsummer maypole”

  * “People jumped over the fire after they lit it. It is called "Midsummer Night fire". The purpose of jumping over the fire is partly to purify, partly because they believed that those whose jump was very successful would get married during the following carnival.”

  * “The streets are decorated with balloons and arches made out of brightly colored paper; These holidays are days of festivities with good food and refreshments, people eat bread and drink red wine.”

**FLOWERS AND THEIR MEANINGS:**

  * Yellow carnations - disdain, rejection or disappointment

  * Daffodil - A single daffodil foretells a misfortune while a bunch of daffodils indicates _joy and happiness_.

_LINK TO WHAT SOLEIL LOOKS LIKE IN THE NOTES SECTION!_

** LUNARIS **

  * Current royalty: Suzanne, Richard, and Eric Bittle (Eric has been MIA for about 3 years by the time this fic starts)

  * The new king is crowned on the current heir’s 18th birthday

  * Eric ran away about a month before his 18th birthday. He was constantly judged for his personality being so different from what Lunaris is used to (sunny disposition?? haha), so he learned to hide his true self very young. As his coronation got closer, he realized he didn’t want to pretend to be what everyone else wanted from him, so he ran away. He planned to return after a little while but ended up falling in love with the forest and beach he found while hiding away and decided he didn’t want a royal life after all. (maybe write a prequel about this at some point???)

**THE BEACH/THE BORDER AKA ERIC'S HIDEAWAY:**

  * He found the forest first along with the hidden garden he stayed in for almost a week while trying not to be found.

  * Forest is in a sort of sunset state during the “daytime” due to it being what separates the 2 kingdoms (sunlight bleeds into the border a bit). The garden is about the size of my house’s living room, so not too spacious but OVERFLOWING with flowers (kinds that grow in both kingdoms) and Eric kinda turned it into a little living space while he was hiding there. Though he found a better place more suitable to living long term, he still goes there often to tend to the flowers and just relax. This is where he and Jack meet!

_LINK TO WHAT LUNARIS (MOSTLY BITTY'S HIDEAWAY) LOOKS LIKE IN THE NOTES SECTION!_

**POSSIBLE CHAPTER THEMES (Ones I ended up using are in bold!)**

  * **Tidal Force** — the gravitational pull exerted by a celestial body that raises the tides on another body within the gravitational field, dependent on the varying distance between the bodies.
  * **Earthshine** — The light of the sun that is reflected back into space by the Earth, and which can illuminate other objects such as the Moon.
  * **Conjunction** — The term applied when two planets are in close proximity to each other in the sky, from the perspective of an Earth-bound observer.
  * Neap Tide — When the Moon is at its First Quarter or Last Quarter, its forces are partially canceled out by the Sun. This leads to a lower high tide than normal.
  * **Opposition** — The term used to describe two celestial bodies as being opposite each other in the sky, relative to the observer.
  * Penumbra — The name given to the shadow cast by a celestial object that only blocks a portion of the light.
  * **Perihelion** — The closest point to the Sun in a planetary body's orbit.
  * **Dark Adaptation** — The eyes’ transition to night vision, in order to see faint objects.
  * **Parallax** — The apparent offset of a foreground object against the background when your perspective changes.
  * Nova — a star that explosively sheds its outer layers without destroying itself.
  * **Retrograde**— When an object moves in the reverse sense of “normal” motion.
  * **Solstice **—The solstice that marks the onset of summer, at the time of the longest day.
  * **Eclipse — **an obscuring of the light from one celestial body by the passage of another between it and the observer or between it and its source of illumination

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi nice to meet you I'm Arthur and this is proof that I am the zimbits lovechild because I'm a figure skater/hockey player who looks like Bitty and goes 110% on things that are not that deep bro like seriously-
> 
> Here are the links to the Pinterest boards on what [Soleil](https://www.pinterest.com/marc0bot/soleil/) and [Lunaris](https://www.pinterest.com/marc0bot/lunaris/) (or more specifically Bitty's hideaway) sorta look like!
> 
> And here's the link to the wiki page for [the solstice celebration!](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midsummer)
> 
> come talk to me on Tumblr at [b1ttle](https://b1ttle.tumblr.com/) (my omgp blog) or [marc0bot](https://marc0bot.tumblr.com/) (my main)!! I love talking to people about my fics or receiving prompts!! <3


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